


Sons of the Earth, Sea, and Air

by Sand_wolf579



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Human, Animal Transformation, Demigod!Donnie, Demigod!Raph, Demigods, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Family, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Illnesses, Magical Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-15
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2020-06-28 13:18:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 71,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19813087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sand_wolf579/pseuds/Sand_wolf579
Summary: Mikey and Leo grew up on their island home with their father.  When their home was threatened, the brothers left on a journey to find two demigod brothers who would be able to help them to save the world and their home.*Moana AU*





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This idea first came to me immediately after I'd watched the movie Moana for the first time, and it's just kind of expanded from there. It's basically a Turtles version of Moana, so expect spoilers (huge spoilers for Moana happen as early as the first few paragraphs, so be aware of that). Because I took so long to really begin writing it, and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has been on lately, I'm going to be incorporating a few elements from the show. For the most part though, the characters will be based off of 2012. The Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles references will mostly be Easter eggs, enough to please someone who enjoys the show, but hopefully little enough that if you're not a fan of the show, you can basically ignore it.

"In the beginning there was no land, only the sea. Water was all that lay as far as the eye could see, and even beyond that. One young goddess by the name of Miwa was not happy with the lifeless planet, so she used her powers to raise up islands out of the sea and brought life to them. She created plants, animals and humans. No longer feeling so empty Miwa returned to her island home and rested, because creating life had taken a lot out of her.

Miwa was not aware that as she slept she was in serious danger. Many creatures, monsters, mortals, and gods alike, were jealous of Miwa's powers over creation and decided that they wanted the power all to themselves. Many of them tried and failed to reach Miwa's island to steal the source of her power. For a long time none succeeded. One day though, two demigod brothers changed that.

Raphael, the demigod of the sea, and Donatello, the demigod of the wind, were able to do what no one else could. With their combined elemental powers and shape shifting abilities the brothers were able to get to Miwa's island. Through Raphael's cunning and Donatello's knowledge the two warriors were able to find the resting goddess and they stole the source of her power, her heart.

The two demigods had succeeded in getting the heart, but they did not get very far with it. There were many who wanted the power that The Heart of Miwa had, and they would stop at nothing to get it. As Raphael and Donatello began to sail away from Miwa's island they ran into one such being. A serpentine creature of lava known as Karai.

The brothers tried to fight against Karai, but they were no match against her. In the battle their mighty shared weapon, the source of all of their powers, was split apart and sunk into the depths of the sea, as was The Heart of Miwa. The demigods themselves were banished to the furthest reaches of the ocean on an island where they have been trapped for five hundred years.

The brothers suffered because of their actions, but the damage had been done. Miwa had given life to the world, but without her heart and powers she couldn't sustain the life that she had created. After her heart got stolen the world slowly began to rot and fall into ruin. Island after island began to fall under the curse and became unable to sustain life.

The world was slowly dying, and there was nothing anybody could do about it."

"Leo, that's not how the story goes!" A young boy with bright eyes and curly blond hair complained to his slightly older brother.

"What? Yes it is, Mikey." The darker haired child huffed. Both boys turned to their father. "Sensei, tell him that's how the story goes." The boys' guardian and teacher, a man by the name of Hamato Yoshi, though most of the people on their island called him 'Splinter', smiled kindly at the children he had taken in.

"You are both correct." Splinter said honestly, and he hoped it would appease both of the boys. "The story _does_ say that the world is dying." He looked at Michelangelo, who frowned slightly at the sad news. The man then turned to Leonardo who was starting to look slightly smug at being right. "But all hope is _not_ lost."

Mikey, feeling satisfied, curled up on Splinter's lap. "That's good." The boy smiled. "I like the earth. I don't want it to die."

Leo, feeling slightly jealous, though he wasn't about to admit it, joined his brother. "How can things get better?"

Splinter shook his head at his son's question. He had told both boys this story so many times that they could recite it word for word. Still, every single time he told it they would ask the same questions as though it were the first time. Splinter didn't tire of their questions though. He was more than happy to share with them the stories of their people.

"The problem begins and ends with The Heart of Miwa and the demigod brothers." Splinter said as he always did. Somebody must find the heart, and the brothers, and help them to return the heart to its rightful owner."

"And then everything will be happy again." Mikey said.

"Things are already 'happy' here on our island." Splinter reminded his sons. Whether or not the world was slowly decaying, their island home thrived, and he suspected that it would for a long time. "You shouldn't worry yourselves over matters that don't concern you." If the world truly _was_ dying, it was actually _everybody's_ concern, but Splinter did not want his two five year old children to worry about such a large problem while they were still so small.

"Yes, Sensei." The two boys said together.

Splinter held his boys closely and just enjoyed the time that he had with them. He was a busy man with a lot of responsibilities towards his family and his village. There was no designated leader on the island, but many of the villagers looked to him for guidance. He wasn't the oldest on the island, nor did he consider himself the wisest, but he didn't turn anyone away who came to him for assistance. Splinter was willing to help people in any way that he could.

Unfortunately, with all the work he did around the village Splinter often couldn't spend as much time with his boys as he would have wanted, but it couldn't be helped. His responsibility was to his family, and he considered _everybody_ in the village, not just the young orphan boys, his family. He had to take care of _all_ of them.

Still, as long as nobody in the village needed him for something, he could spend the time with the children he considered his own. As much as he loved his village and his people, _these_ were the moments he truly lived for. The peaceful moments with his sons.

Sadly, the peace couldn't last forever.

"Master Splinter!" The man sighed in very slight annoyance. He had expected somebody from the village to call out to him at some point. Honestly, he had expected it much earlier. That didn't mean that he hadn't hoped for just a little more time.

" _Hai."_ Splinter gently pulled Leonardo and Michelangelo off of his lap so he could stand and greet their guest.

A young woman from the village let herself into their home. She bowed her head respectively towards Splinter, who returned the gesture. "Master Splinter, the storm last night damaged some of the homes in the village. We need as much help as we can get to repair things."

"Of course." Splinter had suspected that there would be some extra work to be done in the village. He had put off checking on the damage for as long as he could, but he really couldn't stall anymore. There was work to be done.

"Forgive me, my sons, I must go." Both boys were used to this, but neither of them were very happy about it. One of them was just better at disguising his disappointment.

"Awwwww." Mikey let out an extended whine. "Do you have to go?"

"I'm afraid so." Splinter said, sincerely apologetically. He turned to Leonardo, who was handling his disappointment much better than his younger brother was. "Do you wish to help too, Leonardo?" The boy had been spending a lot of time lately following Splinter around, seeing what he did for the village and learning how to follow in his footsteps.

The dark haired boy thought for a moment before looking at his brother. "Um, if it's okay, can I play with Mikey?"

"Of course." Splinter gave his sons a small, encouraging smile. As glad as he was that Leonardo had taken an interest in becoming a sort of guardian for their village, he was still just a boy. He had a lot of growing and learning to do before he would be a man who could shoulder such responsibilities. Splinter was more than happy to teach Leonardo what he could do for the village, but he knew that sometimes the boy just needed some time off to enjoy being a child while he could.

"Thank you, Sensei!" Mikey's eyes brightened and almost all signs of disappointment vanished from them. He hugged Splinter, then he grabbed Leo's hand and dragged him off.

"Be careful." Splinter called out as the boys went running off.

"We will be." Leo and Mikey promised as they ran off to go play. They both knew that Splinter would want them to stay near the village and out of trouble or danger, but neither boy had plans of doing that. They lived on an island, and even though it was a fairly large island both boys generally agreed on the same favorite spot.

The shore.

Technically speaking the boys were too young to be allowed near the ocean by themselves, but they always snuck out there whenever they got the chance. Mikey loved the feel of the sand beneath his feet and the ocean tickling his toes. Leo was a little less fond of the itchy sand which always got everywhere, but he loved to stare out into the ocean.

He may be just a child, but Leo loved to see the evidence of just how large the Earth was. To the little boy, his island home already seemed impossibly large, and the thought that his home was just _one_ island of countless others, with such a large sea connecting them all together, was absolutely mind blowing.

"You should go out there someday." Mikey said when he caught his brother staring out into the ocean again. He knew better than anybody just how much Leo was fascinated with the sea.

"Out to the ocean?" Leo turned to his brother with wide eyes. "I don't think so...I mean, Sensei says that the ocean is really dangerous."

"But you're really brave." Mikey said earnestly. "You're not scared of anything."

"Yeah, well…" Leo blushed slightly at the praise. He already thought of himself as brave, and hearing his younger brother, his best friend, say the same just boosted his confidence that much more. "Maybe when we're older, but you have to come too."

"We can go on an adventure together." Mikey grinned, and Leo couldn't help but smile back. That sounded like a pretty good idea to him. He had always wanted to go on adventures beyond their island, and having Mikey with him every step of the way would just make it that much better.

"Come on, Leo, help me find some shells." Mikey completely flipped the conversation. He was just eager to get started with his favorite beach activity that Leo tolerated. Mikey liked hunting for shells, especially smaller ones that he could make a necklace out of. Leo didn't exactly understand the hobby, but he loved being on the beach, and he was actually better at finding the shells than Mikey was.

"Okay, but only for a little bit." Leo agreed. The brothers actually ended up spending quite a bit of time hunting for shells before Leo had had enough. Mikey could have probably continued all day, but he reluctantly agreed to move on to something else. The two argued for a bit about what to do. Mikey wanted to explore along the beach, but Leo knew that they really shouldn't wander any further from the village than they already had. After a few minutes the two of them agreed to make sand sculptures.

Leo went classic and tried to make a fortress. It didn't turn out very well, but he was proud of it. Mostly because he at least knew how to combine sand and water to get his walls to stay up. Mikey had yet to solve that problem and was having a very difficult time making his volcano. Either it was too dry because of not enough water and just collapsed, or it was too wet and resembled mush. Mikey didn't get frustrated with his failures though. He just laughed at his own mistakes and tried again.

After watching his brother try and fail to get the right consistency with the sand Leo finally decided to help him. Together the two of them were able to build a small but sturdy sand volcano that had a tunnel digging underneath it. Mikey had even somehow managed to fill the crater of the mountain with water that acted as their substitute for lava. It was pretty cool, but both boys knew that the extra water could ruin their volcano much quicker than before.

Leo didn't think that it mattered. They had finished it, and just because it fell apart would not change that. Mikey wasn't content though. He claimed that the volcano was missing something. Before Leo could ask what Mikey was talking about his brother had already started running towards the trees and bushes that stood at the edge of the beach.

He started looking from tree to tree, probably trying to find the perfect leaves or branch to decorate the volcano with. He almost always did this, though Leo never understood why he didn't just use any of the shells he had found today. They would probably work with the theme of a volcano better than a leaf would. After a few minutes of searching Leo saw Mikey freeze and stare at something on the ground. At first Leo thought that he had just found what he was looking for, but by looking at Mikey's face he could tell that he had found something completely different.

"Leo, you gotta see this." Mikey said in a hushed tone. Leo, feeling curious and just a little bit cautious joined his brother and froze when he saw what he was looking at.

"Whoa." Was all Leo could say as he looked down at a nest of hatched sea turtle eggs with just a single weak little turtle still there.

"He doesn't look good." Mikey whispered in a worried tone. "Why isn't he in the ocean?"

Leo frowned. He had been wondering the same thing. "I think he hatched late. His brothers and sisters must've left without him."

"That's not nice." Mikey frowned.

"That's just the way it is." Leo looked out towards the ocean and narrowed his eyes when he saw some seagulls flying around. Those birds liked to eat anything they could get their beaks on...including baby turtles.

"We have to help him." Mikey leaned down to pick him up, but Leo held him back.

"We can't." He said urgently. He remembered one time when Splinter had told him that it was important for a sea turtle to make the journey from the beach to the ocean by itself. They couldn't do it for him. "I think it's like the butterfly."

"Oh." Mikey's frown became sadder. Both boys remembered when a few months before Splinter had taken them to watch some butterflies come out of their chrysalis. Neither of them thought they would ever forget watching and waiting for hours on end as one particular butterfly struggled to get out. Both of them wanted to help it, but were told that if they did than the butterfly's wings wouldn't be strong enough and it would likely die.

"Can we help him get to the ocean by himself?" Mikey's question confused Leo. How can you help somebody while still letting them do something for themselves? Still, he didn't want to just let the sea turtle die, and it was definitely worth a try.

"What are we supposed to do?" Leo asked. Mikey frowned as he thought about it. He looked out towards the ocean for a moment and his eyes brightened with an idea.

"We can protect him so he can get across the beach." Mikey suggested energetically. He pulled a large leaf from a nearby tree and held it over the turtle. "I can protect him from the sun."

Leo frowned and picked up a branch from off the ground. "I guess I'll stop the birds."

"Try not to hurt them." Mikey reminded him. "They're just cranky 'cause they're hungry."

"Got it." Leo ran off towards the birds. He hadn't planned on attacking them anyways. He had just been thinking of scaring them off. Leo waved his stick and shouted at the seagulls. They flew off, startled, just as he had expected. Leo knew they wouldn't stay away for long though. They were stubborn creatures, and they would be back. He turned around to see that Mikey was still trying to coax the sea turtle away from the trees. He could tell that this would take awhile.

"Leonardo! Michelangelo!" Leo flinched when he heard his father yell out for them. Of _course_ Splinter would be looking for them right when they had gotten themselves into something that needed their full attention. If Splinter found them at the beach, and both Leo and Mikey knew that it wouldn't take him very long to do so, they would both be in huge trouble.

"Mikey, what do we do?" Leo asked urgently.

Mikey looked as concerned as Leo felt. "We can't leave him." He had just managed to get the turtle out from under the shade. It was slowly but surely crawling along the beach. Leo watched as Mikey kept the baby sea turtle safe from the rays of the sun. He himself was just feeling conflicted. He had always had an intense desire to obey his Sensei's orders and requests. He wanted to make Splinter proud.

At that moment though, Leo knew that if he went running back to his father then an innocent little sea turtle would die. He couldn't let that happen. Even...even if it meant disappointing and upsetting his Sensei, Leo knew that they had to stay and help.

"Leo, help!" Mikey called out as one very brave and extremely stubborn bird got a little too close. Leo charged forward and waved his stick around. The seagull was not happy about being threatened and startled off. He got just a tad bit too close to the bird in his attempt to scare it off, and it peck at his finger in revenge.

"Ow." Leo drew back his hand and sucked at his finger. The crazy bird had just drawn blood.

"Leo, are you okay?" Mikey sounded so worried. He was _always_ worried whenever Leo, or anybody, really, got hurt.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Leo threw his stick at a nearby flock of birds. He was careful not to hit any of them, but it still scared most of them away.

He then resorted to running and waving his arms around to make the birds go away. Mikey was having his own trouble. The turtle had gotten scared when the seagull that had bitten Leo had wandered too close and now it wasn't moving. It took awhile for Mikey to get the turtle to keep moving.

It took a long time, but the two of them were finally able to get the baby sea turtle to the ocean where it belonged. Leo heaved a sigh of relief and plopped down on the sand right by the water's edge. Mikey smiled and sat next to him.

"Will he be okay?" Mikey asked. "The sea's a really big place for one little guy."

"I think he can handle it." Leo put his still slightly bleeding hand on the sand right next to him. He clenched slightly at the damp sand. He felt the water of the sea rise up and hit his hand, which soothed it quite a bit. Leo didn't think twice about the water, but then again, he really wasn't paying much attention to it. Mikey, on the other hand, was.

"Whoa, bro." Mikey tugged at his arm urgently. Leo frowned and looked down at his hand and blinked in shock.

"That's...weird." Leo said, even though 'weird' didn't even begin to cover what it was. The ocean had swept up over his hand, even though his feet, which should have been much closer to the water, were practically completely dry. The water also wasn't touching the spot where he was sitting, even though it was right next to his hand.

Leo snapped his hand away, and immediately the water receded. He hesitantly put his other hand on the sand, and the same thing happened as before. For some reason some of the water came far enough up the shore to hit his hand. Leo yelped in shock and scooted himself back several feet until he was on dry sand.

Mikey tilted his head at him in confusion. "What's wrong? I thought you liked the ocean."

"I do." Leo said honestly. "It's just..not normally like this. It's weird."

"That's what makes it awesome!" Mikey laughed and stood up. He approached Leo, who was still on the ground. "Come on, dude, you like the ocean. Don't you like that the ocean likes you back?"

"It doesn't." Leo insisted, because that made no sense. "It's just being weird."

"Maybe it's being weird _because_ it likes you." Mikey said. He grabbed Leo's arm and dragged him to his feet. "Why don't you talk to the water? Maybe it'll come to you again."

It sounded like a crazy idea, but then again, Leo knew that Mikey regularly talked to the plants on the island and he insisted that they could hear him. Why was this any different? "Yeah, okay." Leo agreed. He walked back to the shoreline where the ocean meets the sand and stared out to the water. He crouched down and tried to think of something to say, but nothing came to his mind.

Leo sighed and just ran a hand through the water. He put his hand on the sand underneath the water and smiled slightly as he felt the slight rise and fall of the tide. He had no idea what to say to the ocean, but he felt like he didn't have to. The sea didn't use words to talk to him, so he shouldn't have to use them either.

Right as he thought that Leo felt the ocean rise up even more, beyond what was normal. It rose up beyond his hand and up to his feet. That was when things got weird. The ocean that was gathered at his feet parted and formed a type of circle around him, leaving him completely dry.

"Aw, the ocean's giving you a hug." Mikey smiled. "Why does it like you? I want some love from the ocean." Even as he said that the water from the sea rose up to a type of pillar and ruffled playfully at Mikey's hair. He giggled in joy as the ocean left his hair absolutely soaked. Leo grinned.

"I guess the ocean likes you too." Leo teased. The circle of water at Leo's feet shrank back to the rest of the ocean. Leo frowned. He really wasn't sure why the ocean was leaving him. He was actually really disappointed about it. Seconds later his disappointment turned to confusion when he saw something glowing in the water, and it seemed to be coming closer.

"What is that?" Mikey asked exactly what was going through Leo's mind. He really wasn't sure what he was looking at, all that he knew was that it looked small, it was pink, and it glowed...and that the ocean seemed to be bringing it closer to them.

As it neared Leo got to his feet and stepped into the ocean. He wanted to see what the glowing object was. He cautiously trudged through the water until it was up to his chest. He could feel the current pushing and pulling at him, but he had to satisfy his curiosity. Leo reached out to grab the small object that he could now tell was a stone. He was inches away from reaching it when an angry shout scared him.

"Leonardo!" The boy frowned and turned his head at the sound of Splinter's voice. "Sensei? Wha- gah!" He was startled when strong hands grabbed at his arms and pulled him out of the water. His father carried him away from the ocean. He only set him down when they were safe on solid land.

Leo looked up at Splinter and immediately lowered his gaze when he saw the stern look his master was giving him. It was clear that his Sensei was upset and disappointed in him. Leo absolutely _hated_ when that happened.

"Leonardo, you must not be so close to the ocean." Splinter said coldly. "You know better."

"Hai, Sensei." Leo said in a small tone.

"Sensei, it wasn't his fault, I-" Mikey tried to pipe in, but Splinter wasn't hearing it.

"Ya-me!" Splinter said sharply, and Mikey timidly closed his mouth. Their master turned his attention back to Leo. "What were you thinking, coming all the way out here?"

"Gomennasai, Sensei." Leo said, because it was really all he _could_ say. He knew that Master Splinter was right. He _had_ known better. They weren't supposed to be on the beach, and both he and Mikey knew that. They just couldn't keep away from it.

Splinter sighed. "Come along, my son's." He took Leo's hand. He wasn't done lecturing them yet, not by a long shot, but he would continue this discussion at home. He turned back towards Mikey, who was still at the shore and seemed to be fascinated with something in the water. "Michelangelo."

"Coming!" Mikey called back, though he didn't move. The slightly glowing pink stone that Leo had tried to grab had washed much closer to the water. With one little baby wave the stone was pushed onto the sand and it brushed up against his foot. Mikey bent down and picked up the small rock. It looked pretty cool. Now that it wasn't in the water it didn't have the glowing appearance anymore. It also wasn't pink, but a type of purple...which was still a pretty cool color for a rock.

"Pretty." Mikey muttered. Mikey rubbed a finger over the surface of the stone. It felt extremely smooth for the most part, except there was a slight engraving on it. Something like a flower.

"Michelangelo!" Mikey started at his Sensei's sharp tone. He knew that it was time to go. He pocketed the stone, adding it to his collection of seashells. Mikey ran to catch up to his brother and father. He took Splinter's available hand and put his other hand in his pocket so he could clutch at his new find. He knew that he _had_ to tell Leo about this...later, when maybe they weren't in so much trouble.

The boys got lectured really badly when they got home. By the time Splinter was done with the two of them they both felt completely exhausted. The two children always felt tired and bad after Splinter scolded them, and this time it had been even worse than usual. When they were finally free to go they went straight to their room.

Leo collapsed on his bed and curled up slightly. He had a really icky feeling inside, it was the same feeling he always had whenever he got in trouble with Splinter. Now he just wanted to sleep the feeling away and try to do better tomorrow. Before Leo could drift off his younger brother climbed into the bed next to him.

"Hey, Leo?" Mikey said in what he thought was a whisper, but could have probably been heard from outside the room. "I'm sorry about today."

Leo rolled over so he could face Mikey. "I'm not." And it was the truth. He didn't regret spending time with Mikey or hanging out at the beach, and he especially didn't regret helping the little baby sea turtle. He just wished that there was a way that he could do what he enjoyed and felt was right _and_ have his master be okay with it too.

He just couldn't see that happening any time soon.

"So, you're not mad at me?" Mikey asked.

Leo grinned slightly. "No."

"Okay, that's good." Mikey grinned back. "I was scared that you were."

"You mean because of the turtle?" Mikey nodded and Leo just shook his head. "No, I liked helping." Mikey didn't look entirely convinced, so Leo said what he knew would cheer up his brother. "And there's always this." Leo held out his arm to show off his tattoo like birthmark that had the distinct shape of a red-eared slider turtle.

Mikey's grin widened. "Destiny tattoos." He held out his own arm, which had the mark of a box turtle. Both boys looked at the matching marks on their skin.

"That's not what they are." Leo tried to say sternly, but he couldn't help but giggle at Mikey's favorite term for their marks. And really, he felt silly telling Mikey what the birthmarks weren't when he didn't even know what they _were_. All either boy knew about the tattoos was that _everybody_ seemed to be born with one, and they were always in the design of an animal.

It was commonly thought that the marks represented a person's spirit guide. People thought that it was meant to guide them through their lives. Mikey loved that idea, and while Leo thought it sounded nice he didn't understand how it worked, so he didn't know if he believed it or not.

For once though, Leo did think that it was pretty neat that they had saved a baby sea turtle, the ocean itself had interacted with them (that had really happened, right?) and _both_ he and Mikey had turtle related markings. Leo wasn't sure what this all meant, but it just didn't feel like it could be a meaningless coincidence.

"Do you think that today meant something?" Mikey asked with a yawn. Leo looked up at the ceiling and thought for a bit. He didn't believe in fairy tales and myths as much as Mikey did. But what had happened with the ocean, directly after they had helped an animal that was incredibly similar to their supposed spirit animals, he _wanted_ to think it meant something special.

"Yeah, I think it does." Leo said, and he really did. He just hoped that someday he would learn just what that special something was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a story that me and my sister kind of brainstormed together, and I thought that just for fun I would tell you guys the thought process to some of the elements in the story. We decided that Maui's hook would be both of Raph and Donnie's weapons combined into one weapon. We figured that a sai and a bo staff combined would be something a lot like a trident, so that's what we went for.
> 
> Tattoos were a huge part of Maui's character in Moana, so we thought it would be interesting to expand the tattoos a little more. I was originally going to have both Leo and Mikey have sea turtles birth marks, but I switched to the red-eared slider turtle and box turtle because those are the species of turtles that Leo and Mikey are in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.


	2. Chapter 2

Leo stared out towards the ocean. It had been more than ten years since he and his brother had saved the baby sea turtle on the beach, and even though Leo couldn't remember the exact details of that day, he still felt the same strong desires to be near the water as he had back then. If anything, the desire was even stronger.

Leo wasn't just a little kid who liked the look and feel of the ocean anymore. It didn't satisfy him to sit at the shore. He wanted to take a boat and sail off towards the horizon. He wanted to explore the world beyond his little island. He wanted to put his trust entirely in the wind and the waves and just see where they would take him.

He knew he couldn't though. Leo understood the difference between want and need, and even though he wanted to leave, he knew that he needed to stay with his people. His father and mentor was seen as an example and pillar by everybody on the island, and Leo knew that the people were beginning to look at him the same way.

He didn't resent them for this, far from it. Leo loved his island home, and everybody on it. Ever since he was a child he had _chosen_ to follow in Splinter's footsteps. Leo wanted to serve and help his people. He just also wanted to be out on the ocean.

Leo sighed and turned his back on the ocean as he headed back to the village. He knew that if he stayed out there then he would be there all day, losing himself to the ocean. Sometimes Leo came out to this cliff that overlooked the ocean to do just that. He would sit at the cliff's edge, underneath the shade of a nearby tree, and just feel the ocean breeze and listen to the sounds of the waves against the cliffside. To him, it was the perfect place to meditate and reflect. While he knew that it was good to clear his head every once and awhile and relax, Splinter had even taught him how to meditate properly, Leo had also been taught that there was a time and a place for such reflection, and this just wasn't one of those times.

Leo walked back to the village and greeted everybody that he passed. He didn't stop to chat with anybody as he went though, because he had work that he had to do. Leo didn't know why, nobody did, but things had been going wrong on their island lately. It wasn't happening all at once, but little by little over the course of the last few years.

The island had always been extremely fertile, but every few years or so their fields would suddenly stop producing good crops for no apparent reason. They always just started up a new field, which worked out alright until the same thing would happen a few years later.

More and more of their houses were also falling apart, though Leo knew that this wasn't for no reason. After a storm or typhoon there was always some damage, and they would make repairs on the older buildings with newer trees. They always tried to use the healthiest looking trees, but despite how sturdy they looked, the wood was flimsy and weak. Leo wouldn't even have known this at all if Mikey, who knew a lot more about nature and growth than he ever would, hadn't shown him a few years before. With the houses being built and repaired by weaker materials, it was no wonder that things fell apart.

What Leo was most concerned about though was the fish. For as long as anybody could remember, there had always been plenty of fish around their island. Considering how important the meat of the fish was to their everyday diet, this was a very good thing. For the past few weeks though, the fishers had been bringing in less and less fish, and they reported that their regular gathering spots weren't as populated as they had been in the past. This issue hadn't gotten so bad that it was affecting the village as a whole yet, but Leo knew that if whatever had made the fish decide to leave didn't change, then it would only get worse before it got better.

Leo didn't know how to fix any of these larger incidents, but there had also been numerous smaller incidents that he _could_ do something about. Illnesses. Injuries. Disagreements and disputes between the villagers. None of these necessarily had something to do with the fish and plant life incidents, but there were problems that Leo could handle.

When Leo got back to the main area of the village he felt a tension and worry in the air. Something had happened. Something big. Leo made his way through the slowly gathering crowd and joined Splinter, who was talking to some of the farmers.

"What's going on?" Leo asked.

One of the farmers turned to him. "We went to harvest the wheat this morning, but...well, come see for yourselves." The farmers led Splinter and Leo to the fields. At first glance everything looked perfectly fine. The stalks of wheat and rows of vegetables looked healthy enough, but Leo knew that there had to be something seriously wrong, or else the farmers wouldn't have gone to Splinter about it.

Leo bent down to pick one of the stalks of wheat, and his eyes widened when he felt how brittle and weak the crop was. It was dead in all but appearance. And, from how concerned and confused the farmers and villagers looked, Leo thought that it was safe to guess that all of their crops were like this.

"What could have done this?" Splinter's muttered in a concerned and very serious tone, which made Leo feel even more nervous about what was going on. If it was bothering Splinter this much, then it had to be something very serious. Leo had no idea what was wrong with the crops, but he _did_ know somebody who might.

"Does anybody know where Mikey is?" Leo turned back towards the villagers who had come to see what had happened for themselves. He had asked a broad question, but he was looking at one person specifically, April O'Neil. She was Leo and Mikey's best friend, and probably the only person in the entire village who seemed to know exactly where Mikey was at all times.

"I saw him playing by the bay earlier." April glanced quickly at Splinter as she answered, almost cautiously. She knew that Splinter didn't approve of Mikey and Leo being near the ocean, and she usually did her best to keep the two of them from getting in trouble with their father. However, they had more important things to worry about than Mikey getting scolded, and they all know it.

Leo sighed, half in annoyance and half in fondness. He should have known that that was where Mikey was. Just as the cliff that overlooked the ocean was Leo's sanctuary on the island, the bay with the gentle surf on the beach and the foliage just feet away from the shore was Mikey's.

Leo glanced unsurely towards his master, who just nodded at him. Splinter knew as well as Leo did that Mikey was probably the one person on the island who understood plants the most. He spoke about all plants and any other living creature as though it had a soul, and respected it as such. If anybody could figure out what was going on, it was Mikey.

Leo left his sensei to deal with the villagers as he went to find his brother. As he moved past the village Leo looked at all the trees and plants that he passed, and he couldn't help but worry about just how healthy their island really was. First the trees, now their crops. So many of their plants weren't as healthy as they should be, and Leo didn't understand why. He just hoped that Mikey had an idea. For all Leo knew, this was a completely normal thing to happen to plants.

It took some time for Leo to get to his brother's favorite bay. Leo's cliffside was fairly close to the village, because he knew that he should remain as close to the others as possible, just in case he was needed. Mikey's bay though was all the way on the other side of the island. If Mikey was anybody else other than, well, Mikey, Leo would think that he liked the location because it gave him solitude.

There was a very simple reason why Mikey liked the far bay, because it was just brimming with life. People rarely came out here, so the plants and foliage were practically undisturbed. It was the most natural place on the island, and that was what drew Mikey in, just like how the ocean drew in Leo.

Even though he was in a hurry, Leo was careful to watch where he went. He didn't care for plants the way that Mikey did, but it still felt wrong to disturb the natural beauty of the island. Their people did their best to respect nature and keep their island the way that it was meant to be, but they still had to _live_ somewhere, so they had to use and change the land as the needs came up.

Leo didn't explore this part of the island very often, but he knew exactly where he was going. Leo had made a point to memorize any paths he had taken, just in case he needed to travel through again. He didn't necessarily _know_ this area, but he was still familiar with it. It was still part of the island that had been his home for his entire life. _Everything_ felt familiar to him, and while the sense of stability was certainly comforting, it was also a little boring sometimes. Leo wanted adventure, to experience change...just, not the kind of change that was starting to sweep through their island.

Leo wondered if it was possible to have change and adventure, and yet keep the traditions and stability that they'd had on their island for generations...probably not.

Leo reached the bay and was confused when he didn't immediately see Mikey. He had been sure that he would find his brother. Where else would he be? Leo looked around, wondering if his brother had climbed up a tree or something. He did that sometimes...actually, he did that _all_ the time. Leo often thought that Mikey's spirit guide mark should have been that of a frog, or even a cat, like April's. Or, really, _any_ animal that could climb trees.

"Hey Leo." The dark haired boy jumped in surprise and quickly turned towards his brother's voice. He had forgotten for a moment though that he wasn't in the village or on a cliff, he was in the middle of untamed wildlife, and there were plants everywhere. In his haste Leo tripped over a root that was sticking out from a nearby tree and fell flat on his face.

He didn't get all that hurt from the fall. Leo was actually fairly certain that his pride hurt more than anything, and the fact that Mikey was laughing at him certainly wasn't helping matters.

"Have a nice trip, bro?" Mikey snickered.

"You're hilarious." Leo grumbled. He pushed himself to his feet and turned towards his brother, and felt his breath get caught in his throat. "Mikey, what are you _doing?_ We're not supposed to be in the ocean." Mikey was relaxing in the water and leaning against the rocks.

Mikey shrugged. "Dude, the water's, like, not even three feet deep here. There aren't any currents or anything. I seriously don't think that anything dangerous is going to happen."

Leo wasn't so sure about that, but he couldn't bring himself to scold Mikey about it because, well, he kinda wanted to join him. Mikey had found himself a loophole to being in the ocean, and Leo wanted in on it.

"Hey, you gotta come see this." Mikey waved him over. Leo rolled his eyes and shook his head, but eagerly moved closer to the water. "No, ya gotta come closer." Mikey reached out and grabbed Leo's arm and pulled him into the water with him. The water was warmer than Leo figured the ocean usually was, probably because of the way that the sun hit the shallow water and there wasn't a lot of movement in the water.

"Check this out." Mikey dragged Leo so close to the surface of the water that he practically pulled them underwater. "Do you see them?" Leo could only assume that Mikey was talking about the dozen or so starfishes that were under the water. And of course Leo saw them, they were kind of hard to miss. They were right there.

"Look at that one." Mikey pointed to one of the larger starfishes, and Leo immediately noticed that something was wrong with it.

"What happened to it?" Leo asked. The starfish only had four arms.

"I don't know, I found it like that a few weeks ago." Mikey carefully picked up the starfish and brought it closer to the surface so Leo could see it better. "Do you see what it's doing?"

Leo frowned slightly and looked closer at the starfish. He didn't know what he was supposed to be looking for. It just looked like a four tipped starfish...wait a second. "What's that?" Leo pointed to the place where the fifth arm should be, but there wasn't just empty space there. Leo hadn't noticed it at first, but there was a little stump where the fifth arm should be, almost like a baby arm.

"It's regrowing its arm." Mikey said. "There was nothing there when I found it six weeks ago, but it's already starting to grow back. In a year, it'll be like nothing had happened."

"That's incredible." Leo said in a quiet, awe filled voice.

"I know." Mikey grinned as he gently put the starfish back down. "Isn't it awesome? This is just one example of how nature can just jump back to its feet, even when it seems like the world is against it."

Leo didn't entirely understand how the world could be 'against' nature, but he kinda got what his brother was saying. It gave him hope for what was going on to their island. "Can plants do this kinda thing?" Leo asked.

"It depends." Mikey made his way to the shore. "There are a lot of things that plants need. We can have the fairest weather in the world, but if the soil isn't just right, the plants won't grow right, and vice versa."

"Is it possible for a plant to look alive and healthy, but it's not?" Leo asked.

Mikey's eyes flashed in concern. "Please don't tell me it's happening in the village too."

"Sorry, but it is." Leo said, and then he realized just what Mikey had said. "Wait, what do you mean by 'too'?"

Mikey sighed and looked at the foliage around the bay. "Everything on the island looks as healthy as it's always been, but...I don't know." Mikey shook his head. "Something's wrong."

"The villagers are really concerned." Leo joined his brother ashore. "Our crops looked fine, but they're all dead. Nobody knows what to do."

Mikey touched at his necklace that he'd had since he was a child. It was made of small shells stringed together with a small purple stone in the middle, which rested on his chest. Leo didn't know what it was about the necklace, but Mikey never took the thing off. It was like a charm or totem that he seemed to cling too when he wanted guidance.

"I want to see the crops." Mikey said, which was exactly what Leo had been hoping to hear. "Maybe there will be something to salvage." Leo didn't know about that, but he certainly hoped so. The brothers made their way back to their village as quickly as they could. It took less time for them to get back to the village than it did for Leo to get to the bay in the first place.

When they got back to the farming fields, Leo was surprised and relieved to see that most of the villagers had returned to their homes. Splinter must have somehow been able to convince everybody that wasn't a farmer to go back to the village. This was a relief, because Leo was concerned enough as it was, he didn't need to deal with the stress of hiding his emotions from already concerned villagers.

Mikey was usually a very social person who could spend hours just casually speaking to somebody without either person getting bored. He rarely ever passed somebody by without stopping to say hello and ask them how their day was doing. Mikey must have been very focused on the crops, because he barely even glanced at anybody he passed, not even Splinter.

Mikey gently took one of the stalks of wheat, and it fell apart in his hands just the same as it did for Leo. Mikey knelt on the ground, picked one of the carrots and broke it. The carrot looked healthy on the outside, just like the wheat had, but on the inside the carrot was dark, practically hollow, and extremely rotten. Leo had wondered for a moment if Mikey would check on the condition of every vegetable and crop, but he didn't. Mikey turned his full attention to the dirt. He was looking for something, but Leo had no idea what.

After a moment Mikey got to his feet and wiped the dirt off his hands. "I don't know what happened, but the soil isn't healthy anymore. We can't use it."

Leo grimaced. This was worse than he had thought it would be. Not only were the plants dead, but they couldn't even reuse the soil? Leo wondered if they even had any more fertile soil to farm on. "What should we do?"

"We need to burn these crops." Mikey said without hesitation. "The soot will fertilize the soil and make it even more healthy than it was before. In the meantime, we just need to start over and replant somewhere else."

"Replant?" One of the farmers voiced the uncertainty that they were all feeling. "Can we afford to do that?"

"We can't afford not to." Mikey said simply, and as much as they all hated it, they knew that they didn't have much of a choice. They had to replant.

Leo wasn't much of a farmer. He didn't understand plants the way that Mikey did, but he knew how to follow instructions. Mikey, Leo, and Splinter spent the next few hours helping the farmers plant new crops in one of their older fields that Mikey was confident would be good enough. Leo mostly just did what Mikey instructed, but even the smallest bit of help was still help.

Time really had a tendency to fly when one was hard at work. Before Leo even knew it, the sun was beginning to go down, and there was still a lot of work to do. They had done a lot though, so they decided to call it a day. Splinter and the farmers went back to the village. Leo planned on following them, but he stopped before he even went anywhere when he saw Mikey make his way to the beach.

Mikey had been quiet all afternoon, and Leo had been concerned. He had just been too focused on other things to talk to his brother. Now though, Leo had nothing else to worry about. It was time for him to talk to his brother.

Leo followed Mikey down to the beach. He didn't say anything for the first few minutes, and neither did Mikey. The two boys just sat on the sandy shore and watched the sun set over the horizon. Leo normally loved nothing more than to watch a sunset over the ocean, but he couldn't appreciate it as much as he normally would because he was too concerned about his brother.

After they sat in silence for a bit Mikey finally spoke about what was on his mind, and it wasn't quite what Leo had been expecting. "Do you remember that legend about the Heart of Miwa?" Mikey began to fiddle with his necklace again.

"Of course I remember it." Leo said. How could he forget the story they had grown up listening to?

Mikey was quiet for another moment before he continued. "Have you ever wondered if it was true?"

Leo raised an eyebrow at his brother. "You really think there's a goddess of life whose heart got stolen by two shape shifting demigod brothers?"

"Hey, you don't know that that stuff isn't true." Mikey said. "But, actually, that wasn't what I was talking about." Mikey clutched at his necklace. "...do you think the earth is really dying?"

Leo wanted to say no. He wanted to say that it was just something that the elders added to the story to make it more dramatic or something, but he couldn't because he didn't know that for sure. And Splinter _did_ always say that even the most unbelievable legends stemmed from a branch of truth.

"I don't know." Leo said honestly. He didn't really believe in all the legends of their village, but they were hard to ignore. And when Leo thought about the unexplainable dying trees, and the fish leaving for no apparent reason, suddenly the earth dying felt like a much more real possibility. "I just don't know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter introduces a theme that my sister had seen hints of in Moana, but would have loved to see more of. It's the idea of the strength of nature, where even if something is destroyed that doesn't mean that it stays that way. Things like fire may kill plants, but the ash will fertilize the soil and make it even richer than before, which gives more strength to the plants that may grow there in the future. Trials lead to growth. This is something that my sister really wanted to have be prominent in this story.


	3. Chapter 3

Over the next few days Leo found himself thinking about Mikey's question more and more. Every time the thought that the earth was dying crossed his mind, the more convinced he was that it was the truth. Maybe he couldn't speak for the rest of the world, but Leo knew that things on his island had been getting worse. The wildlife was dying or disappearing, and it was happening at a worrying pace. It was a frightening thought, that their island home was dying, but Leo just couldn't think of any better explanation. Nobody could.

And if there wasn't a more plausible explanation than an old myth, then maybe there was some truth to that old legend after all.

Leo had never considered that something that he had only ever thought of as a fairytale could be a reality, but since it was the only possibility he knew of, he wasn't going to dismiss it. Really though, the only way to know for sure was to go out, find the demigod brothers, and return the heart to Miwa.

Of course, that would require sailing out into the open sea, which Leo knew he was explicitly forbidden from doing. But there really wasn't much of a choice. Leo had to choose the better of two evils, disobeying his father, or sitting back and doing nothing as the world potentially died around him.

Leo knew what he had to do. Rule or no rule, he couldn't just wait for everything to fix itself. It just wasn't going to happen. He had to take action. And he knew just where to start.

"Hey, Casey," Leo ran up to his friend when he saw him trudging back into the village, an empty fishing basket slung over his shoulder. "Still no luck out there?"

"Man, I don't know what's going on out there, but there aren't _any_ fish." Casey scowled and threw the basket on the ground, much more violently than was necessary. Leo had to keep himself back from scolding Casey, who had always had some anger issues. Leo knew from experience that if he mentioned it, Casey would just get more irritated, and that wasn't what he needed right now. Leo needed Casey's help, and that wasn't going to happen if he was mad.

Casey groaned and stretched slightly. "What's up, Leon?" Casey smirked at Leo, because he knew just how much he hated that stupid nickname. Casey had heard Mikey call Leo Leon _once_ , and he hadn't stopped using the nickname himself.

For somebody who always got really irritated and upset when people pushed him too far when he was already on-edge, Casey sure loved to push buttons.

Leo took a deep breath to calm himself. There was no point in getting upset over a silly nickname. "Does that offer of showing me how to sail a fishing boat still stand?"

Casey grinned excitedly. "I thought you were too scared to go against your old man's orders." Casey teased.

"I wasn't _scared,"_ Leo glared at Casey in slight annoyance. It was as though Casey really couldn't understand that there were more motivators to obeying authority figures than just because of fear. "Things are just different now. So, can you help me or not?"

"Yeah, sure," Casey stretched, causing his shirt to ride up slightly. Leo couldn't help but stare at Casey's exposed skin. No matter how hot it was outside, Casey always seemed to wear as many layers as he possibly could, even when he was fishing. Casey hated showing skin, because he didn't want to show off his strangely bare skin. Unlike everybody else in the village, Casey hadn't been born with any birthmarks.

This was unusual, but not completely unheard of. Splinter had told them that Casey's lack of birthmarks didn't mean anything. He wasn't cursed, and he wasn't doomed to a future without guidance from a supposed spirit animal guide. There was nothing wrong with him, he was just a little different.

Leo knew this, and he certainly didn't think any less of Casey because of it, but he still couldn't help but stare whenever he saw Casey's bare skin. It was just because Casey was usually so careful to keep himself covered.

Casey hadn't noticed that Leo was staring, but he still immediately tugged his shirt back down. Whether or not he thought that people were staring, Casey was so self-conscious about his skin.

"Let's go," Casey punched Leo's shoulder, because he seemed to think that was an okay thing that normal people did, and lead the way back down the beach.

Leo felt a little bit of awe when they approached the fishing boats resting on the shore. He had never been on one himself out on the water, but he'd always admired them from a distance. It was hard to imagine that a little boat like this could be used to explore the vast ocean, gliding effortlessly over the unpredictable waves.

He couldn't believe he was really going to do this.

Casey walked over to one of the smaller boats sitting on the shore that looked only large enough for one or maybe two people. Without Casey having to say a word Leo joined him at the small boat and helped him to push it out into the water. Once it was no longer dragging on the sand, Casey gestured for Leo to get on, which he struggled to do, though he tried really hard to not let it show. Judging by Casey's barely concealed snicker as he effortlessly pulled himself onto the small fishing boat, Leo didn't hide it nearly as well as he would have wanted to.

"Sailing is actually pretty easy once you get the hang of it," Casey grinned as he adjusted the rope attached to the sail with one hand, while his other hand held onto an oar, probably just in case. "Just let the wind do all the work for you. Oh, and don't try to fight the waves either, because you _will_ lose."

Casey gestured out towards where a wave was approaching. It wasn't a large one, but as it came closer Leo realized that even a small wave was probably going to feel like a big one while they were on a boat that almost seemed to threaten to tip over with every little push the ocean gave it. Leo instinctively gripped the edge of the boat tightly to brace himself. He stiffened and glared at the wave, which just seemed to get bigger as it approached them. This wave was sorely mistaken if it thought that it could scare him.

Casey guided them straight towards the wave, and they passed through it so easily that it was as though it wasn't even there at all.

Leo relaxed and let out a breath that he hadn't even noticed he had been holding. Casey just laughed at him.

"Relax, Leon, it's just water. It's not going to hurt you." Casey held the rope out to Leo, who accepted it and tried to do just what Casey had done to keep the sail in place. Leo's grip on the rope was tight, probably too tight. He just didn't want to lose his grip on the rope and cause the sail to collapse on them.

What Leo hadn't thought of, and what Casey definitely hadn't bothered to point out, was that pulling on the rope could be just as bad as not keeping it tight enough. Leo's stiff grip pulled the sail towards them, which ended up turning the boat too.

"Leo, what are you doing?!" Casey snatched the rope out of Leo's hands and tried to set their boat straight again. "A boat this small wasn't built to hit waves at an angle!"

"I know that!" Leo shouted back, more frustrated with himself than with Casey. Leo grabbed the oar and desperately tried to use it to help turn them. There was another wave, about the same size as the first one, coming towards them. The first wave hadn't been so bad, but they hadn't been practically sideways when they'd hit it. Leo didn't have to have experience sailing to know that this wouldn't end up nearly as smooth as the first time. "Hold on to something." Leo warned just before the wave hit them, and when it hit, it _hit._

Leo felt the wave hit him with so much force it felt like he had been physically pushed by something, and that force just kept on going. It was enough to not only knock the air right out of him, but also make him feel like his chest couldn't fight against the force enough to expand just so he could take in a breath. Leo supposed this was a good thing, as trying to take in a breath while underwater would be a mistake, but it was still a scary feeling.

Though deceivingly strong, the wave only lasted for a brief moment before the boat drifted harmlessly through the other side. Leo and Casey were both soaked and a little bit stunned, but no worse for wear.

"Are you okay?" Casey coughed as he tried to straighten the boat out again.

"I'm fine," Leo muttered, still feeling slightly dazed. He moved to use the oar to help Casey only to realize that it was no longer in his hands. He must have dropped it in his rush to grab the boat. A quick glance told Leo that it wasn't sitting on the floor of the boat, so he quickly began to scan the sea and almost immediately spotted it. "Casey, the oar!"

"What?" Casey turned to where Leo was looking, and his eyes widened in alarm. "Dude, we need that!" Casey dropped the rope entirely, much to Leo's alarm, and began to reach out over the side of the boat in an attempt to reach the oar. He was nowhere close to it, but Casey still reached. To Leo's alarm, the boat began to tip towards where Casey was leaning.

Leo was worried that they were going to capsize, and tried to shift his weight to balance it out, without moving too much that he ended up rocking the boat and flipping them over anyways. Because of Leo's caution, he didn't lean over the opposite side of the ship nearly enough to really balance them out. He probably would have eventually, if given more time, but it seemed like the ocean had other ideas.

Leo's eyes widened as he noticed another wave, larger than the previous two, almost on top of them. He knew that it wasn't all that big, but at that moment it might as well be the size of the mountain. If Leo had been worried about being flipped over earlier, it was nothing compared to the terrifying knowledge he had of it now. "Ca-" Leo barely began to get the warning out before the wave crashed into them, and it felt like the world collapsed around him.

Leo was knocked backward, though he didn't know if it was because the boat had finally tipped, or from the force of the wave hitting him directly. Leo felt his limbs hit blunt objects, possibly the boat, possibly Casey, possibly something else entirely, with so much force that he thought that it was surely going to bruise. Despite his every instinct screaming at him to squirm and get his head above the water, Leo tried to keep still. The wave was still on them, and Casey had told Leo to not try to fight the waves, so he wasn't.

Just when Leo thought that things had calmed down enough for him to safely try to swim to the surface he felt a blow to the side of his head that was strong enough to make him see stars. Leo continued to not move, because he was too dazed to even try. He knew that he should get to the surface soon, but it was as though whatever had hit his head had knocked away his ability to tell his limbs to move.

Leo's head slowly began to clear. He could finally, _finally_ begin kicking his legs and moving his arms in an attempt to swim up. Because he'd never been allowed in the ocean before though, he had never actually swam. Leo theoretically knew what to do, but there was a huge difference between knowing what he was supposed to do, and actually being able to do it. Leo's attempt at swimming much more resembled flailing, and he knew that he was in trouble.

Suddenly he felt an arm wrap around his chest. Leo turned and saw Casey next to him. Casey nodded and gestured to his own legs, showing Leo how he was kicking. Leo immediately followed Casey's example and the two of them slowly swam to the surface. Leo felt like his lungs were burning when his head finally rose over the water. Leo coughed and gasped for air. Casey looked at him in concern.

"Are you okay?" Casey asked. "That boat seemed to hit you pretty hard." Oh, so _that_ was what had hit him.

"I-I'm fine," Leo brought his hand to his head, where he had been hit, and winced. He brought his hand away and frowned when he saw blood on his fingers. Casey grimaced sympathetically.

"That doesn't look very fine to me," Casey helped swim Leo to the boat, which had floated to the surface. It was still tipped over, but having something to hold onto to help stay afloat was better than nothing. "Hold on to the boat and help me push it to shore," Casey said. Leo looked towards where the island was. While they'd been _on_ the boat, it hadn't seemed like they were too far from the island, but now that Leo knew they had to swim there it felt like they'd never make it.

"Just keep your eye on the boat," Casey said. "Don't look at the island. Just help me kick."

"Yeah, okay," Leo sighed, and they began the long swim back home. Leo knew that Casey was doing almost all of the work, but he made sure to at least carry his own weight. Every little bit of help that he did was less work that Casey had to do.

Leo lost himself in the swimming. Master Splinter had taught him how to properly meditate, even with physical distractions. It was harder and took more focus to meditate while he was doing physical work, but Leo didn't mind it. It gave him something to focus on other than how much his head was hurting and how sore his legs were. He just let himself get lost in his thoughts and continued kicking.

After some time Leo felt his feet brush against the bottom of the sea. He finally looked up to see that they were almost right on the island. Leo grinned when he Mikey and April sitting on the shore, watching them. He was happy to see them, though as they got closer Leo realized that April at least wasn't nearly as excited as he was.

"Casey Jones, Leonardo Hamato, what were you thinking?!" April put her hands on her hips and glared at them. Leo had been worried about how Splinter would react if he knew that they had gone out to sea, but he hadn't even considered what April would do if she found out.

"Oh, hey Red," Casey grinned, though Leo could see a nervous glint in his eyes. It didn't matter how much bravado Casey had, he wouldn't dare mess with April. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We saw you sailing off," Mikey sat contently on the ground as he scratched the ears of his pet cat, a mischievous little orange monster named Mayunk, though half the time Mikey just called him Kitty. "Seriously, dude, going out to sea without me? That's cold, bro." Leo couldn't tell if Mikey was just messing with him, or if he was honestly disappointed.

April turned her glare towards Mikey. " _They_ shouldn't have been out there either. You two are lucky that the worst thing that happened was that you got tipped."

"Calm down, April," Casey said quietly and apologetically. He must have known that April wasn't in the mood to deal with a nickname. "I go out on the water all the time. I knew what I was doing."

"But you don't normally go out that far," April dropped her hands and her eyes softened slightly, though now she looked more upset than angry, and that just made them feel worse. "And you took Leo out with you, even though you _know_ he can't swim."

Leo shifted uncomfortably. He knew that today had been his first time really swimming, and he felt embarrassed about that. He lived on an island, he was surrounded by water, which he'd always had a fascination with, and yet he could barely swim. Casey looked at Leo, his expression full of regret. Neither of them had really thought this little adventure through.

April sighed and rubbed her forehead, looking pained. Leo and Casey had already felt guilty, but seeing that April seemed to be getting a headache they both felt even worse. Over the past few weeks April had been getting headaches that come and go, and they only seemed to be getting worse. None of them knew what was wrong with her, but they were all worried.

"Hang on, Red," Casey approached April and put his arm over her shoulder. He was right there to support her in case she got too dizzy to support herself, which had happened before. "Let's get you back to the village."

"Y-yeah, okay," April agreed easily.

"Wait," Mikey stood up, holding Mayunk in his arms, and he passed the cat to April. "Take Kitty with you. His purrs have healing properties." Once again, Leo couldn't tell if Mikey was serious or not. Leo himself doubted that cats could heal anything, but Mikey was always talking about the unbelievable things that nature could do, so he wouldn't be surprised if animals could, in fact, heal headaches.

April smiled and held Mayunk close to her chest. It was Mikey's pet, but she'd always felt close to the cat. "Thanks, Mikey." April and Casey began to make their way back to the village. Mikey and Leo stayed on the beach and watched them go.

After awhile Mikey stretched and looked at Leo. "So...what made you want to go out on the ocean again? You usually just pine from a distance."

"I was thinking about what you were talking about last night," Leo looked out towards the horizon. "About how the Earth might be dying, just like the legend says."

Mikey grimaced. "Yeah?"

"Well, if that part of the legend is true, then maybe the rest of it might be too." Leo said. "The part about the demigod brothers."

Mikey froze, a strange look in his eyes. "You mean...the Heart of Miwa?" Mikey touched the stone on his necklace. Mikey was still for a minute before pulled the necklace up over his head, taking it off. Mikey looked at the stone, and then held it out for Leo to see. "If we get this back to the demigod brothers and help them to return it to Miwa, everything will go back to normal?"

"I... _That's_ the Heart of Miwa?" Leo didn't really believe it, but Mikey had always acted like there was something special about this stone. It was naturally pink, which just wasn't something that happened. Mikey had also had the stone ever since they were little kids. He had found it the day that they had helped the baby sea turtle make its way safely to the sea. The day that they had both imaged the ocean doing some pretty crazy things. At least, Leo was pretty sure that they had imagined it, but Mikey always insisted that it was all real. It seemed pretty unbelievable, but if a missing stone could cause the world to die, then maybe it wasn't so unbelievable that the ocean could act like it had a mind of its own.

"It might be," Mikey said quietly. He put his necklace back on again. "If we're going to sail off to find the brothers though, I think we'll need something a little more sturdy than a little sailing boat."

"Well, yeah, but there aren't any other boats on the island," Leo said, like it was obvious. Splinter didn't want anybody on the ocean any more than was absolutely necessary, and almost nobody seemed to have a problem with it.

Mikey grinned mischievously. "Man, I've got something you've got to see," Mikey grabbed Leo's hand and began to pull him down the beach towards the cliffs. Leo didn't know where they were going, and Mikey didn't bother saying another word about it, but Mikey seemed excited and confident. Whatever Mikey wanted to show him, Leo knew that it was going to be worth the small wait. Mikey wouldn't get his hopes up like this for nothing. Leo just had to trust his brother, and they both had to trust that this impulsive plan of theirs would work.

They didn't have a lot of evidence that the old legend was true, and even if it was they didn't know for sure that they'd be able to even do anything about it. They had to try though, because there was nothing else that they could do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We were really back and forth about what April's birthmark animal should be. For reasons, I chose a cat. Speaking of cats, let's talk about Mikey's cat. I wanted to include Ice Cream Kitty in this story, but I couldn't exactly have it's name being Ice Cream Kitty. I couldn't decide between using Klunk, which is the name of his pet cat in the 2003 series, and Mayhem, which is the name of April's pet cat-like creature in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Because I couldn't decide on a name, I just combined Mayhem and Klunk, giving us Mayunk.


	4. Chapter 4

Leo knew their island home extraordinarily well. He and Mikey used to go exploring as kids all the time, though they’d been doing it less and less the older they got. Most days, Leo was too busy to stray too far from the village. Despite this, Leo liked to think that he was still familiar with the woods. And yet he didn’t recognize these plant ridden paths at all.

Leo was careful to step only where Mikey stepped. There were plants and trees all over the place that they might as well have been cutting through the woods, but Leo could see small signs of this specific path being taken in the past. He knew that Mikey wouldn’t want to disturb the plant life any more than they already had.

“We’re almost there,” Mikey lifted a thin branch and stepped aside, giving Leo room to duck underneath it. Mikey then ducked under the branch himself before carefully letting it fall back into place.

“Where are we going anyways?” Leo leaned back to allow Mikey to take the lead again. 

“Me and April found this place a few years ago,” Mikey said, not really answering Leo’s question. “I wanted to show you earlier, because I knew you’d love it, but April thought it would just make you feel even more conflicted than you already are,”

“Conflicted?” Leo frowned as they finally stepped away from the foliage, the cliffside just mere feet ahead of them. “About what?”

Mikey grinned eagerly. He went to the cliff, which was overgrown with vines and other hanging plants. Mikey confidently brushed some of the vines to the side, revealing a cave and Leo hadn’t noticed before. “Come and see,”

Leo’s frown slipped away to a small, content look. He didn’t know what he was going to find in there, as Mikey was being ridiculously secretive about this, but he felt himself get excited anyways. He wanted to see what the big secret was.

Despite the fact that they were in a cave, it was fairly well lit. It wasn’t bright or anything like that, but they could see well enough to not have to worry about tripping over anything. The vines hid the entrance to the cave, but weren’t thick enough to obscure the light from outside. Leo didn’t think this was enough to light the whole cave, so there had to be other sources of light, maybe from above somewhere.

*Mikey lead Leo deeper into the cave, though he still didn’t say what they were there to see. Leo was just about to ask Mikey what the heck was going on when he saw some structures. At first Leo couldn’t tell what they were, but as they got closer he could make them out the basic shapes, and he felt his breath catch in his throat. 

“Are those...boats?” Leo moved towards the boats slowly. He ran his hands over the wood of one of the boats. They were clearly built differently than the fishing boats, they were sturdier, for one thing, and larger too. They didn’t look like they’d be knocked over by a simple wave. “What are they doing here?”

Mikey grinned excitedly and jumped onto one of the boats. Leo had been admiring the woodwork, but his eyes were drawn to the sail of the boat that Mikey was on. All of the other sails were torn or frayed, definitely not in sailing condition, but this one looked almost good almost as good as new. Leo could see small stitches in the fabric. It seemed like the sail had recently been repaired, probably by Mikey. Leo at first wondered why his brother, who had never shown much of an interest in sewing, would bother to repair this particular sail, but he got his answer when he saw the flower symbol on the flag that exactly matched the symbol etched into Mikey’s necklace.

Mikey took his necklace off and hung it onto a hook-like thing that was attached to the mast. Mikey sat down cross legged on the boat and pulled some old books and scrolls that Leo hadn’t noticed before towards him.

“We were wondering the same thing,” Mikey gestured for Leo to join him, which he did so. Mikey opened one of the books up to a page with pictures of boats on it, as well as words written in a language that Leo didn’t understand. “April’s dad thinks that they were left here by our ancestors.” 

Leo looked at the drawings of boats. They seemed to be sailing away from an island. It wasn’t the most realistic drawing in the world, but Leo could immediately tell that the island in the drawing wasn’t  _ their  _ island. Mikey turned the page to show the same boats drawing close to a different island, though still not theirs.

“April’s dad told us that our ancestors sailed here from other islands,” Mikey said, and he sounded really excited about it. Leo didn’t quite understand where his enthusiasm was coming from.

“Well, they had to come from  _ somewhere,” _ Leo said. It was interesting, but nothing all that mind-blowing and awe inspiring. “So what?”

Mikey leaned closer to Leo, like he was going to tell him a huge secret. “No, they didn’t just come here from an island, and then stayed here forever,” Mikey said, though that was  _ clearly  _ what had happened. Of course their ancestors had stayed forever, or else they wouldn’t be on this particular island. “They left their home and went to another island, and then a few years later some of them left  _ that  _ island and went to a new one. They did this again, and again, sailing all over the ocean until they finally ended up here.”

Leo finally realized just what had Mikey so excited. “You mean they were voyagers?” Leo asked quietly, like he barely dared to say it out loud.

Mikey nodded. He rested his hand against the mast of the boat and smiled fondly. “Just like how Sensei used to tell us.”

Leo frowned slightly at that, because it wasn’t quite right. Splinter had told them about voyagers, how they’d traveled the world, never truly staying in one place for too long because not one island was their home.  _ All  _ of the islands, the ocean, the whole world, really, had been their home. It had always seemed like Splinter had admired voyagers, so why had he never told them that those people had been  _ their  _ people, their ancestors?

“Why did they stop?” Leo asked. Mikey frowned in quiet thought, like it was something that he hadn’t actually considered before.

“I don’t know,” Mikey admitted. “Maybe all of their boats broke?”

“Then they would have repaired them,” Leo pointed out. “And the boats all look fine to me,” though Leo knew that he wasn’t exactly a master boatman. Casey or his family would probably be able to tell better.

“Well, maybe...” Mikey tried to come up with a good reason as to why their ancestors would have stopped voyaging, but he was at as much of a loss as Leo was. “uh, maybe-”

“Maybe they realized just how dangerous the ocean is, and thought it would be for the best to settle down and stay safe,” Leo and Mikey jumped when they heard Splinter’s voice. They both turned to see their father standing there, looking sternly at them.

“Sensei,” Leo stood up and instinctively tried to block the boats, though it did absolutely no good. “We were just-”

“Yame,” Splinter snapped, and Leo shut his mouth. Splinter didn’t even sound angry, just scared and somewhat disappointed, which just made Leo feel worse. He hated it when their father was disappointed in them.

Splinter frowned and gestured for them to come closer to him. Leo sighed and reluctantly made his way to his father’s side. Mikey lingered for just long enough to grab his necklace again, though he didn’t put it on. Mikey held it tightly in his hands as he went to join them, keeping his eyes on the ground.

Splinter looked at the boats, a look of pain, and distant longing in his eyes. “I was hoping I would have a few more years before you two found this place.”

“You...you  _ knew  _ about this place?” Leo couldn’t hide the frustration in his voice.

Splinter turned his gaze to the two of them. “I’m the one who hid them here in the first place.”

Mikey looked up, a look of shocked betrayal in his eyes. “Why would you want to hide something like this?”

Splinter frowned slightly, a sad look in his eyes. He put a hand on Mikey’s shoulder. Splinter looked down at Mikey’s hands, where the amulet was. Splinter held his other hand out, and Mikey reluctantly opened his hand and let Splinter take the stone, though he kept his hand around the chain. Splinter rubbed his finger over the flower pattern on the stone.

“I just wanted to protect you,” Splinter said. “The ocean is unforgiving.”

Leo flinched slightly and automatically rubbed his head, which was still hurting from his and Casey’s little boating accident earlier. They could have died, but that wasn’t the ocean’s fault. Mikey seemed to agree with him.

“But that’s just what nature is like,” Mikey said. “Animals, plants, the weather, they can all be really unforgiving, or really gentle. It’s just the nature of, well, nature.”

Splinter shook his head. “That may be true, but if you don’t tempt nature, you’re unlikely to get hurt by it. One can recognize which plants are poisonous. We can learn how to see when an animal is ready to attack. We know the signs of a storm and take shelter. When you’re out in the middle of the ocean, there is nothing that can protect you if you’re in the middle of the ocean and get tossed under the waves.”

There was that look of pain in Splinter’s eyes again. He wasn’t just being overprotective. Yes, Splinter was worried about their safety, but Leo doubted that it was for no reason. “...What happened to you out in the ocean?”

Splinter looked up at the sails that matched Mikey’s stone. “I was once like you boys. When I was young and foolish me and Tang Shen used to sail off on this very boat to the neighboring islands that lie just beyond the horizon.”

Mikey and Leo exchanged glances, the same thing on both of their minds. Leo was the one to voice what they were thinking. “Who’s Teng Shen?” They knew everybody in the village, and had never even heard of Teng Shen.

Splinter closed his eyes, and Leo immediately felt bad for even asking. Splinter looked tortured. “She was my best friend...my wife.”

Mikey bit his lip. “What...what happened to her?”

Splinter sighed. “There was a storm coming, we knew there would be, but we thought we would be able to outsail it. Sooner than we had expected, the seas became rocky. We capsized. I was able to swim to the surface, but she...Tang Shen…” Splinter moaned in sorrow.

“I-I had no idea,” Leo wrapped his arms around himself. “We just-”

“We wanted to try to save our island,” Mikey said quietly. “If that old tale about the demi-god brothers is true, if the world really is dying because of what they did, then maybe we can make things right by returning the Heart of Miwa.” Mikey gently pulled the necklace away from Splinter’s grip.

Splinter took another look at the stone. “The story is an old myth, but even the oldest and most unbelievable of legends have a grain of truth in them. But you can’t just sail off and chase after a...a  _ fairy tale,” _

“No, Sensei, we  _ have  _ to,” Leo said.

“Our island is  _ dying,  _ you  _ know  _ it is,” Mikey added. 

“If there’s even a  _ chance  _ that we can do something to fix things, we have to at least try.” Leo said, raising his voice slightly. He understood why their father didn’t want them to leave, he understood that it would be dangerous, but he needed Splinter to know that they had to do something.

“Yame,” Splinter said, sounding more exhausted than anything. “Please, just let us return to the village.” Splinter wasn’t using his ‘I’m your father, don’t argue with me’, voice, but he still sounded so upset that Leo didn’t have it in him to argue. He and Mikey both nodded and followed their father out of the cave. Neither of them were ready to drop the matter completely, because saving the world really was quite important. At that moment though, emotions were running too high. Their discussion wouldn’t get anywhere, not when they were like this.

They wouldn’t give up, they just had to come up with a better plan...or even just an  _ actual  _ plan. Maybe then Splinter would listen to them. He  _ had  _ to.   
  



	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of those chapters where I felt like the chapter would never end. It wasn't really a chapter that I was too excited to write (there wasn't anything wrong with it, and I'm happy with how it turned out, but I'm telling you, I am ready to introduce Donnie and Raph), and yet this chapter ended up longer than my average chapters usually do, which was cool, but also a little annoying. I hope you guys appreciate this chapter (I'm sure once I give myself some time from writing this chapter, I'll like it just fine. This has happened before).

As they made their way back to the village, Mikey lingered a little behind his brother and dad. Ever since he and Leo were young, Mikey had felt like a bit of a third wheel when they were both with Splinter. Mikey knew their dad loved both of them, and he loved them equally, but he didn't love them in the same ways. They were both Splinter's son, but Leo was also his pupil. Taking care of the village meant a lot to Splinter, so of _course_ showing Leo the ropes around being a leader and having so much responsibility would add something more to their relationship.

When Mikey was younger, he had been jealous of all the extra attention Leo seemed to be getting. Mikey had felt really lonely because not only was Splinter really busy, but then Leo had started spending a lot of his time helping him as well. Mikey had been bitter for a little bit, but then he'd started spending more time with Casey and April. Once he wasn't alone anymore, Mikey had been able to adjust to not being able to spend as much time with his family as he would have liked. And now that he was older, it barely bothered him at all.

The key to not feeling left out was to find his own ways to spend some alone time with Leo and Splinter. Mikey had learned how to recognize when Splinter wasn't busy doing work for the village, and that was when he would ask Splinter to teach him more about having an appreciation for life. It was from his father that Mikey had learned so much about plants, and to live every day to the fullest. When Mikey spent time with his brother, they just spent their time exploring the island and sharing with each other something that they had learned.

Mikey had accepted that his relationship with both Leo and Splinter was different than their relationship with each other. He was fine with that, and for the most part nowadays he barely ever noticed it. When it was just the three of them though, like it was now, Leo and Splinter almost always started talking about their work around the village. It was because of this that Mikey had gotten into the habit of distancing himself slightly from them. This way if they wanted to talk just between the two of them, he wouldn't be in their way, but if they decided to include him, he would still be right there.

Mikey almost always had something to do to distract himself. Like then, he was observing the plants as they made their way back to the village. The wildlife was looking good...for the most part. On the surface, the plants all looked happy and healthy, but appearances can be deceiving sometimes. When Mikey took a closer look at the plants, he saw that there were a lot of leaves that weren't normally eaten by insects that had holes in them anyways. The leaves weren't as vibrant a color green as Mikey thought they should be, some of the leaves even looked a little closer to yellow than green. The plants were drooping more than they normally would. There were just so many signs that there was something wrong with these plants.

Mikey frowned in concern and slight anxiety. He may have learned a lot about plants and wildlife, but nature has a way of taking care of itself. If nature couldn't thrive without his interference, then there wasn't a lot that he could do to help it. If the earth, or even just their island, really was dying, then it would happen no matter how hard Mikey might try to reverse it. He could encourage nature to take its course, but if nature's course was going in the wrong direction…

"Splinter!" The three of them paused when they heard Casey calling out to them. He sounded really distressed. "Splinter!"

"Casey!" Leo called out in response. A moment later the boy tripped out of the bushes and onto the path. Mikey wasn't happy that Casey had been running through the plants, probably crushing everything under his feet, but he didn't say anything about it. Casey had obviously come looking for Splinter for a reason, and there seemed to be a lot of urgency to whatever was on his mind.

"Here you are," Casey was gasping for breath, but he didn't stop for very long to find his second wind. He immediately moved on to what he had come out here for. "Something's really wrong back at the village. You gotta come,"

They had already been on their way back to the village, but hearing that there was apparently a problem, they picked up the pace. The four of them began running back to the village, though they made sure to stay on the path this time. When one person is traveling, it may be faster to just cut through all the plants, but with four of them, it would definitely be safe for them to keep to the path. Not to mention how much better it would be for the plants themselves.

They ran all the way back to the village, and continued to follow Casey as he lead them past the outer buildings and living areas, straight to the center of the village, which was more of a gathering area than anything. There weren't a lot of buildings in this part of the town, but there _was_ a medical hut, which was where Casey lead them.

Everybody on their island was fairly healthy. Unless there had been a big accident, or an illness was going around, the medicine hut was fairly empty, which was why it was such a small building. Right then though, it looked more crowded than Mikey had ever seen before. So many people were there. Some of them looked in better condition than the others, but everybody looked scared.

"What's going on?" Splinter asked as Casey pushed past some people waiting outside the hut to get them inside.

"We don't really know," Casey said. The inside of the hut wasn't nearly as crowded as the outside, but there were still more people here than the building had been made for. Mikey immediately spotted April and her father, and it looked like they were talking to the main medic. The looks on their faces showed that whatever they were talking about it wasn't anything good.

April, who was sitting on the ground, still looking pained, smiled weakly when she saw them. "Hey, guys,"

"Hey, April," Mikey kneeled down next to April. Casey sat down on April's other side. Splinter pulled the healer aside to talk to them somewhat privately. Leo seemed conflicted about whether he wanted to join Splinter, or stay close to April. He compromised by standing between them, close enough to April to offer support if she needed it, but also close enough to hear what was going on between Splinter and the healer.

""Are you feeling okay?" Mikey asked April.

"What's going on?" Leo seemed to ask the room in general. He didn't care who answered.

"There is...something going around the island," The healer said. "Miss O'Neil here isn't the only one who has come here today complaining of a headache. Many of them have also reported this not being the first time that they've had a headache, and that they've had stomach aches as well."

Mikey frowned. "What's getting everyone sick?"

"I don't know yet," The healer admitted. "The symptoms themselves aren't worrying, but when I saw how many people had been suffering in silence for a few weeks, I wondered just who else was having these problems, and, well, you saw how many people came."

It's affecting half the village," Leo muttered. He looked at April in concern. "I thought it was just a headache."

"It is," April insisted,"

"For now," The healer cut in. "Your headache has been getting worse, and so has everybody else's. For all we know, it'll only get worse."

"What can we do?" Splinter asked.

"Unfortunately, I don't even know what's going on," The healer said. "We can relieve the symptoms, but if we don't tackle the real problem, we won't be able to solve anything."

Mikey and Leo looked at each other. Leo gestured outside, and Mikey went ahead and followed him. He may not want to leave April, because he was worried about her, but Leo wouldn't drag him away if it wasn't important.

Leo and Mikey walked outside the hut, and then continued on past the village. Leo didn't say anything at first, he just lead the way to the cliff that overlooked the ocean. Leo frequently went there when he was feeling stressed. When they got there, Leo turned towards Mikey.

"Do you think this is another one of those ' _the Earth is dying'_ kinds of things?" Leo asked, though his tone implied that he thought he already knew.

"I'm afraid it might be," Mikey sat down and stroked his fingers over the grass. Everything felt normal, but that didn't mean anything. "You saw how our crops and plants were dying, even though they look really healthy. A lot of our food comes from plants or animals."

"If we thought our food was good and it actually wasn't…" Leo paled. "If the food is getting people sick…" Leo closed his eyes and shook his head. He took a moment and took in a deep breath. Leo calmed himself and when he opened his eyes there was a determined look on his face. "Fairy tale or not, we can't put this off anymore. If we're going to do something, we have to do it _now!"_

Mikey nodded and looked down at his necklace. The Heart of Miwa. "But we can't just sail away. The first time you went on a boat was this morning, and you really didn't do that good."

"And fishing boats weren't meant for actually sailing in the middle of the ocean." Leo rubbed the back of his head. We need to take an actual boat,"

"And we need to know how to sail it," Mikey said, because it would be a big mistake to sail off out onto the ocean with such a minimal knowledge about how to even work a sail.

A strange look came into Leo's eyes, and Mikey knew that he had a plan. It wasn't uncommon for Leo to have a plan, however the look in Leo's eyes told Mikey that it would be more like one of his own plans. The kind of idea that you knew very well could backfire, but you were going to go through with it anyways.

"Well, luckily, we know someone who knows how to work one of those fancy boats," Leo looked out towards the ocean before turning around and running back towards the village. Mikey was confused at first, not really understanding where Leo was running off to in a hurry, but then he remembered what their dad had told them about just a short time ago, about how he used to go sailing when he was younger.

"Leo, wait!" Mikey rushed to his feet and ran off after his brother. He understood the urgency to trying to fix this problem, but Splinter had been so upset just talking about sailing. The memory of Tang Shen was fresh on his mind at the moment. And now Splinter was probably stressed about trying to deal with whatever was making so many people feel unwell. This wasn't the time to ask him to not only allow them to go out onto the water, but to _teach_ them how to do just that.

Mikey was a fast runner, but so was Leo. Physically, they were pretty evenly matched, except for the fact that Leo was taller than Mikey was. Leo's longer legs allowed him to travel just a little further, so Mikey wasn't having a lot of luck catching up to his brother.

Mikey wasn't far behind his brother, but just a little bit of a distance between them was all that Leo needed. It allowed him to get to the medical hut first. "Sensei, can we talk to you?" Leo asked the second that he got through the door, before Mikey was able to catch up to him.

"Wha-no!" Mikey grabbed his brother's arm and tried to pull him back a little, but Leo stood his ground. "No, don't go dragging _me_ into this. This is all _your_ idea,"

"But we'd both be going," Leo pointed out, like there was no question about it, and there wasn't. Mikey may think that his brother lacked tact, but that wouldn't be enough to dissuade him from standing at Leo's side.

Splinter looked from Leo to Mikey, a calculated look in his eyes. "You still want to go out there, after all I told you." It wasn't a question. Splinter knew all too well what they were doing there.

Leo's daring boldness softened slightly, though he still looked extremely determined. He wasn't going to take no for an answer, but he wasn't going to be unreasonable and unempathetic either. "Sensei, our island needs help. Our _people_ need help."

"It is not up to the two of you to shoulder the responsibility of the entire island," Splinter said. It sounded fairly logical, but neither Leo nor Mikey were convinced.

"We all live in this world, and that makes it _all_ our responsibility to take care of it," Mikey said.

"Splinter, you're the one who taught me to put the good of our people before my own needs," Leo said earnestly. "If there's anything I can do to help out people, I can't just not do it."

Splinter took a deep breath. "Come," That was all Splinter had to say to get Leo and Mikey to follow him back out of the huts. Leo looked relieved. If Splinter was bothering to take the conversation somewhere more private, then he might not be so quick to just dismiss them. This was a good sign that Splinter was actually going to be allowing an actual discussion.

They didn't go far, as Splinter always wanted to be close to the village when there was a potential problem. They just went far enough to not be overheard. Once they were alone, Splinter turned and put his hands on their shoulders. "I won't be able to convince you boys to change your minds, will I?"

Mikey was caught off guard. He had thought that they'd have a chance to convince Splinter that they needed to go, but he really hadn't expected Splinter to be so easily resigned to it.

"I'm sorry, Sensei," Leo said, and he really sounded like he meant it. "I know there's no guarantee that any of this is going to work, but if there's even a _chance_ that it'll work, we have to try." Mikey nodded, because he believed it too.

Splinter eyed them both for a few long, tense moments. Finally he sighed and squeezed their soldiers before letting his hands fall. Splinter turned and began to walk. They automatically knew to follow him. Both of them were surprised to see that Splinter wasn't actually heading back to the village, like they thought he would, but towards the cliffside cave that he'd found them at earlier.

"It takes time to truly master sailing, and even longer for it to become second nature," Splinter said as they walked. "But if you're going to be running off anyways, I'm going to at least make sure that you have enough sailing knowledge to hold your own out on the ocean." Mikey felt his breath get caught in his throat. Even after everything he'd told them, he was still letting them go. He was trusting them to come back home. Leo hadn't even gotten around to asking Splinter to teach them how to sail, but he was doing it anyways.

Leo really was a lot like Splinter. They certainly thought alike.

When they got to the cave, Splinter headed straight to the sailboat that had the flower symbol on it. It was the sailboat that was in the best condition, and it was also the one in had caught Mikey's attention the most. He was drawn to the boat that shared the same symbol as the one on his necklace. And if this stone really was what they thought it could be, then the shared symbol could mean a lot for their little quest.

Splinter stepped onto the ship and grabbed the rope that was used to manipulate the sails. Splinter showed handed the rope to Leo, who took it like he was afraid it was going to bite him.

"Relax," Splinter said. "If you don't allow yourself to feel comfortable with the sails, you won't be able to get them to work for you."

"R-right," Leo took a deep breath and relaxed.

"Good," Splinter said. "Now, pay attention, and remember what I'm going to teach you," Splinter continued on with the lesson. Leo paid complete attention, while Mikey just half listened. He tried listening at first, but he'd never been as good at learning theoretical learning. He was a hands-on learner. It was one thing to be told what to do, and another thing to be shown.

Mikey knew that he would have to learn how to sail. They were going to be working together on this, which meant they both had to do the work. But Leo was good at learning from Splinter. He knew how to put theoretics into practice. Mikey knew that his brother could teach him once they were out on the ocean.

Mikey hummed to himself and stepped off the boat. He looked briefly at all of the other boats, but then walked past them towards the water that came flowing into the cave from the ocean. He walked along the water's edge. He loved the feeling of the water at his feet. Mikey bent down and fingered the stones at his feet. He found one that was about the size of his palm, fairly smooth. This would do nicely.

Mikey stood up, fidgeting with the stone. He turned towards the water and drew his hand back. He flicked his wrist forward and released the stone, letting it skip over the water. Mikey had never been very good at doing this. He could usually just get the stone to skip three, maybe four times. He had once gotten it to six though, which had been really cool.

As Mikey tossed the stone, he hadn't really expected it to go very far, but to his surprise it got to seven skips, and then it just kept on going. Mikey watched in awe as the stone reached eight, nine, ten skips, and it showed no sign of slowing or sinking. If anything, it seemed to be going farther and faster. The stone skipped right out of the cave, out into the ocean, until he couldn't even see the stone anymore.

Mikey frowned. There was no way he had magically gotten so good at rock skipping that he could probably beat any world record. He grabbed another stone, not nearly as perfect for tossing as the other one, but it would do. Mikey tossed the stone, just like before. Once again, it started skipping across the water like that's what it was created to do, though Mikey thought he saw something weird. When the stone hit the water, it didn't just bounce off of it, but it kinda looked like it was _pushed._

Quickly, Mikey grabbed another stone, one that was in no shape to be skipping on anything. It was too jagged, too round, but it was just what Mikey was looking for. He sat on the ground and just threw the rock at the water. He didn't even try to get it to skip, but it did anyways. This time, Mikey didn't watch the stone, but he watched the water. He definitely wasn't imagining it. The water was pushing the stone, making it skip.

Mikey didn't know what was going on. The water was acting weirdly, but that couldn't be a thing. The ocean couldn't 'act' like anything, it was just water. It wasn't a sentient being. Except...Mikey fingered his necklace. He slipped it off and looked at the stone. He remembered the day that he had found it. At least, he thought he did. Over the years he had started telling himself that he had found the stone when it had washed up on the ocean, and that was at least partially true, but Mikey swore that he hadn't just stumbled upon the stone, it had been _given_ to him...by the water.

Mikey lowered the hand that held the stone into the water. The normally purple stone turned to a pinkish color and seemed to glow. Mikey watched it for a moment, feeling how the ocean rose and fell, like water had a tendency to do. It felt a little like there was some more water pressure near the stone than elsewhere. Mikey bit his lip and let the stone fall from his hand. It didn't even begin to sink. It just flat there in mid water.

Mikey stepped back, away from the water, and away from his stone. Things were still for a moment, but then the water around the stone rose until it made a bit of a pillar. Mikey watched in awe as the water pillar moved towards him until it was just right in front of him. The stone floated up in the water until it was at the top of the pillar, which then bent over Mikey's head. Mikey watched in awe as the pillar took the stone necklace and put it back on over his head.

"...Hey, Leo!" Mikey excitedly turned back towards his brother. "You remember when we were really little, how we imagined the ocean having a mind of its own?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Leo looked towards Mikey. He looked barely curious at first, but Leo very quickly saw where Mikey was going. "You...it...how?"

"The ocean…" Splinter sounded in awe, but not particularly surprised. He looked from Leo to Mikey. "Has this kind of thing happened before?"

Mikey nodded eagerly. "The day I found the amulet. The ocean brought it to me...to us." Mikey may have claimed the stone and adopted it as his necklace, but Leo was the one that the ocean had first come to. They were both involved in this thing.

Splinter frowned, though it looked more thoughtful than concerned. "I've always believed that the ocean and the Earth were one. If someone is wrong with the sea, the land will be affected. If something's wrong with the land, the ocean will feel it too. If the Earth is dying, the ocean would feel it, and it would do anything it could to fix things.

"So, is the ocean asking for our help?" Leo looked at their father.

"It very well might be," Splinter said. "I imagine that the sea will help you on your way."

"Well, that's a relief," Mikey laughed slightly. "We barely know how to sail, and we don't even know where we're going. I definitely feel better about this now that we apparently have the freakin' _ocean_ on our side."

"So do I," Splinter said. He still looked upset and unprepared for this, but he wasn't going to stand in their way. "Still, I ask you two to be careful. The world is a lot bigger than our small island."

"That's what I'm counting on," Leo said, his eyes glistening with excitement. They may just be leaving because they felt it was necessary, but that definitely didn't stop Leo from looking forward to going out on the ocean, seeing new places.

"We'll watch out for each other," Mikey promised. He stepped back on the boat and embraced Splinter. Their dad wasn't big on physical affection, but he returned the hug without hesitation. Leo waited for a moment before joining them. They stood like that for a long minute before Splinter pulled away.

"I must get back to the village," Splinter said. "And you two need to hurry and get some supplies so you can leave while you still have a few hours of sunlight."

"That sounds like a good plan," Mikey said. Leo put his arm over Mikey's shoulder. Neither of them completely knew what they would have to bring with them, but they would figure it out. They both had a lot of work in front of them, and they didn't really know just what to expect from any of this, but they would figure it out together.


	6. Chapter 6

Mikey hummed to himself as he pet Mayunk. The usually cheerful and hyper cat seemed very tired and almost depressed. Mikey knew that it was because the cat could tell that April wasn't feeling very well, and she was worried about her. Mikey sorta wanted to leave Mayunk with April, but he didn't want the cat to get in the healer's way. And if April was just going to be getting worse, then Mayunk would probably become more and more distressed, and she didn't need that.

Mikey sat on the boat that he and Leo would be taking and he looked around the cave. He and Leo had gone into town to grab some provisions. Mikey had grabbed some non-perishable food and plenty of fresh water, though he'd also picked up Mayunk on his way back, because he'd thought that the cat might need some company.

Leo was responsible for getting other resources they might need. Mikey knew for a fact that Leo was going to be getting some rope, a couple of knives, and some old books of Splinters that might give them an idea of where to find the demigod brothers. Though knowing Leo he was probably grabbing anything else that came to his mind, which would explain why he was taking so long. They had agreed to meet back up on the ship, but Leo was sure taking a long time.

Mikey sighed and tightened his grip on Mayunk. He was anxious to get going already. Their island home had been getting a lot worse with every year that passed, and it seemed like these bad things were just accelerating. They had to fix things before they got even worse.

"Mikey!" The teenager breathed a sigh of relief and turned to see his brother running towards him, a couple of bags slung over his shoulders. "You find everything?"

"I'm sure if I forgot anything, you grabbed it," Mikey set his cat down and went to help his brother bring everything on the boat. Mayunk wasn't happy about being put down. She began meowing loudly and running between Mikey's feet. He nearly stepped on his cat a couple of times.

Mikey began to put the supplies that Leo had brought in the small storage area under the boards of the ship, where the food and water already was.

"I sure hope so," Leo said, his voice sounding equal parts nervous and excited. He pulled out a map from one of the bags he was holding. "Splinter says that there are a lot of Islands out there. If we need more provisions, we should be able to find something out there," Leo looked over the map before he folded it up and handed it to Mikey, who put it in the storage area along with everything else. Leo was adjusting the ropes on the sail. "Are you ready to go?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Mikey said. He was just as excited to get out there as Leo was, but he was a little concerned about leaving home for the first time. Mayunk meowed and began playfully attacking Mikey's feet. She wanted attention. Mikey smiled and bent down to pick her up. "Mayunk's ready too."

Leo paused and gave him a critical stare. "Your cat's not coming."

"I'm not leaving him," Mikey clung tightly to his pet. "April's not feeling good enough to take care of a cat, and Splinter will be too busy."

"We're going out on the _ocean,"_ Leo pointed out, as though Mikey hadn't concerned that fact.

"Mayunk's been near the water before," Mikey reminded his brother. He regularly brought the cat to the shore, and not once did she get into trouble. She was too smart for that. "I'll watch out for her,"

"And what about food and water?" Leo asked.

"He doesn't eat a lot," Mikey insisted. "And I'll share my portion of water with him."

Leo raised an eyebrow at him. "And what if you get dehydrated because you're not drinking enough?"

Mikey chuckled. "Dude, you're the one that said there are lots of islands out there. We can find more water."

Leo didn't look completely convinced, but Mikey wasn't going to budge on this. Mayunk was a social kitty, she got really upset when she couldn't get attention from either Mikey or April. Despite this, Mayunk was more of a wild cat than a domestic one. She knew how to take care of herself.

Finally Leo sighed. "We don't have time to argue about this. Just don't come crying to me if your cat begins drowning,"

"I won't," Mikey promised, though they both knew that if Mayunk fell into the water, Leo wouldn't hesitate to jump in and save him. He kind of acted like he was everybody's hero.

"Let's go," Leo said "While we still have some sunlight," Leo grabbed some rope that he'd brought with him from the village and tied one end to the mast. Holding the other end Leo then walked off the boat towards the water. Mikey got off the boat too, though he went to the back of it. While Leo pulled the boat, Mikey pushed it from behind. It took a moment, but they were able to get the boat out on the water. They continued pushing the boat until they were sure that the bottom of their boat wouldn't scrape against the ocean floor.

Once they couldn't push it anymore, Mikey and Leo climbed back onto the boat. Mikey didn't feel completely steady standing on the boat, so he crawled to the front of the boat and sat on the edge, dangling his feet into the water. Leo handed him an ore while he kept one for himself. Mikey had never used an ore before, but he had a basic idea of what to do with it.

Mikey and Leo awkwardly struggled with their ores to row the boat out of the cave. Once they were out on open water and there was a wind to work with, Leo set his ore down and began trying to use the sail. Though he'd been given a crash course that morning from Casey, and another one from Splinter a short while ago, he still had a long way to go.

"Are you going to be okay?" Mikey asked his brother as he picked up Mayunk and brought her to his lap. "Do you need help?"

"I'm fine, I just need some time to get the hang of it," Leo said, already slightly stressed. This was actually a good sign, as when Leo was just a little stressed, he had a tendency to focus more and be more productive. But when he was like this, he definitely worked best when left alone, so he could focus. "Once I figure this out, I'll show you what to do. Once we're both decent with the sail, we would probably want to take turns manning the sail and napping. I don't want to leave the boat unsupervised at night."

It sounded like a good plan to Mikey. "In that case, it okay with you if I take a nap now?" Mikey wasn't especially tired, but it would be better for him to sleep while he had the chance, or else he might be completely exhausted when he had work to do, and that might be disastrous. Besides, Mikey sleeping was probably the only way he could give Leo some privacy.

"Go ahead," Leo said, and he sounded almost relieved. He definitely liked his space.

Mikey stretched and laid down on the boards, using his arm as a pillow. Mayunk walked onto his face and laid down on top of it, making Mikey chuckle. The cat's purring sounded especially loud when she was right there, but Mikey didn't mind. He'd slept like this before.

Because it was the middle of the day, and Mikey wasn't very tired, it took some time for him to begin to doze off. Eventually though the gentle rocking of the waves, along with the cool ocean breeze and warmth of the sunlight on his skin, began to lull him to sleep. Slowly but surely, Mikey slipped into unawareness.

Mikey was resting comfortably, but he was roused when Leo shook his shoulders. "Mikey we got a problem,"

Mikey groaned and forced his eyes open. His vision was a little bleary, and he just wanted to go back to sleep, but Leo sounded really worried, and Mikey knew it wouldn't be for nothing. "What's going on?" Mikey rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"The ocean's still," Leo said, like it was a problem. Not completely understanding, Mikey looked out towards the water. Leo was right, the water _was_ incredibly still, but Mikey didn't understand why this was a problem.

"Isn't that what we want?" Mikey asked. The stiller the water was, the smoother their boat would sail over the surface.

"Not like this," Leo knelt next to the water and poked his finger on the water. Mikey frowned when he saw that it didn't cause even a single ripple. The water was _completely_ still, and Mikey realized just how unnerving it was to see. Mikey had seen the ocean a lot from their island, and even on the most pleasant there were still ripples and waves on the water. Without it, it just looked unnatural and wrong.

And it wasn't just the water either. It took Mikey a few moments to realize that the sky was cloudy and overcast, but even taking the clouds into account it was ominously dark. Then there was the complete lack of a breeze. Everything was just so quiet and still, but not in a peaceful way. It made shivers go down Mikey's spine.

"What's going on?" Mikey asked, though he didn't exactly expect an answer.

"I don't know," Leo admitted. He stood up and returned to the sail. "Why don't we go to that island over there and see if we can get any answers," Despite the lack of wind, Leo was able to manipulate the sail to bring them towards the island that Mikey could have sworn wasn't there a second ago.

Mikey wasn't used to sailing, so for all he knew this was completely normal, but Mikey could swear that the boat was moving way too fast. It was barely a minute before they were coming right up to the island, which was starting to look very familiar to Mikey.

"Is that…" Mikey trailed off."

"Home," Leo sounded sick. He dropped the sail's rope and jumped off the boat. Leo began to wade awkwardly in the water as he tried to run towards the shore. Mikey grabbed Mayunk and dashed after his brother. As Mikey's feet touched the sand on the ocean floor, they began to sink into it almost immediately. It felt like the ocean was trying to pull him under. If Mikey wasn't so close to the island shore already, he would probably be freaking out.

Mikey struggled to the island, and he was relieved when he got there, though that relief quickly went away when he felt the sand on the shore. Even up here, the water still wasn't moving. Right up to the waterline, the sand was still completely dry. It felt like the sand was scattering at the slightest touch. Nothing was grounding it. Mikey was reminded more of the sand in a dessert than the sand on a beach.

Mikey frowned as he saw the plants just beyond the sand. They looked normal, but nothing about any of this was normal. He was worried about what he might see. Mikey made his way to the plants. He reached out for the leaves and touched one of them, only for it to dissolve into black dust. To Mikey's horror it wasn't just the leaves that disappeared, but the dust began to spread quickly until all of the plants that Mikey could see were gone in a wave of terrifying dust.

"Leonardo, Michelangelo!" Mikey froze at those words. There were very few people who called him and his brother by their full names. He stood up to see Splinter running through the sea of dust, looking scared, which was terrifying in and of itself. There wasn't a lot that could scare Splinter.

"Dad?" Mikey stared at their father.

"Sensei!" Leo pushed past Mikey and ran towards Splinter. Just before Leo reached him the dark dust surrounding them seemed to explode and in an instant Mikey couldn't see either his brother or his father anymore. They were gone. The instant they had disappeared, the dust continued to storm out. It was coming towards him. Mikey instinctively turned away from it, only to see that everything around him was dissolving into the ashy dust. The sand, the sea, everything. It was all gone. And it wasn't long before the same thing would happen to him.

"-ey...Mikey!" His eyes flew open and he sat up with a start to see Leo shaking his shoulder, looking at him in concern. "Are you okay? You looked like you were having a nightmare."

"I-I'm fine," Mikey ran a hand through his hair. "I just..." Mikey ran a hand through his hair. He looked out towards the sea and frowned.. The waters definitely weren't calm and unmoving the way they'd been in his dream. In fact, the waters were rocky, and when Mikey saw the skies ahead of them he could quickly see why.

"We're sailing into a storm?" Mikey stood up, clutching tightly to Mayunk to keep her from being tossed overboard. The skies ahead of them were dark, and Mikey was a little upset to see lightning off in the distance. As a child he'd always enjoyed watching storms in the distance. It was amazing for him to see lightning in the horizon, even when he knew that the storm was coming right towards them. But back at home, they had shelter, and a father who always made sure they were safe. Out here, they were completely defenseless and on their own.

"I've been trying to avoid this thing for hours," Leo said. "But no matter where I turn, the ocean seems to be pushing me right towards it." Mikey frowned at the sea. He'd thought it was their friend. It was supposed to be guiding them on their quest, keeping them safe, and yet it was pulling them continuously towards what seemed to be a terrible storm.

"I don't like the looks of this storm," Leo frowned out towards the dark clouds before looking back towards Mikey. "Can you help me take down the sail? It's just going to make it easier for us to be tossed aside by the storm."

"I think that's going to happen anyways," Mikey said. If they took the sail down, it may keep the winds from making them capsize, but they would still be vulnerable to the water. Still, Mikey did as his brother said. Just because they were in trouble anyways didn't mean that they should just lie down and take it.

Neither of them knew a lot about the sail. They soon found that it was a lot harder to take down than they thought it would. Mikey had no idea how they were going to put this sail back up again, but they had to worry about just one thing at a time."

By the time they got the sail down, folded up, and stored safely with their other things the storm was practically right on top of them. Feeling desperate and not wanting to worry about anything else while they were in the middle of the storm, Mikey put Mayunk in the storage area too. He knew that it wouldn't be good to have her in there for a long period of time, but Mikey didn't want his cat to be knocked into the sea. She would be at least a little safer in there.

"Hang on," Before Mikey could close up the storage area again Leo knelt down and grabbed some of the thinner, but firmer rope. He tied one end of it around a plank, and from the other end he made a harness that he slipped onto Mayunk. It was tight enough to do something to keep Mayunk from getting separated from the boat, but it also shouldn't be so tight that it hurt her.

Leo grabbed some more rope and closed up the storage area. He pulled Mikey to the mast and handed him the rope. Make sure you're tied down. We don't want to be dragged away from the boat," Leo said as he tied the mast rope to his waist.

"Or from each other," Mikey followed Leo's example, though he also tied his rope to Leo's, just in case. If one of their ropes came loose, hopefully the other's would save them.

"Brace yourself," Leo warned. He and Mikey grasped hands. They could do nothing but watch as they were pulled towards the impending storm, waiting for the world around them to devolve into complete chaos. All they could do was hope that they made out of this alive.

* * *

Donnie frowned and narrowed his eyes at the storm clouds in the distance. He hadn't seen a storm like that for five hundred years. In fact, he hadn't seen _any_ storms during that time, since he and Raph had washed up on this cursed island. This place was so secluded and separated from the rest of the world that Donnie sometimes referred to their forced home as limbo, while Raph seemed to prefer the term 'Hell'.

Even if the storm was miles away from them, just the fact that it was somewhat close to them was worth taking note of. This wasn't an ordinary storm, and Donnie was determined to figure out what was so different about this one.

Donnie tightened his grip on his staff. He closed his eyes and held the staff in the air. He could feel the wind around him. Using his staff he could easily manipulate the wind to his every whim, but that wasn't what he was doing right now. Here, that wasn't what he wanted to do. Donnie wanted to get a sense of how the wind naturally was right now.

Even from this distance, Donnie could feel the stiffness in the air. It was subtle, but he was the demigod of the wind. If there was even the smallest of changes in the air, Donnie could feel it.

So Donnie knew that something was wrong, but he wasn't content with just that knowledge. Donnie was a seeker of knowledge, always had been. It wasn't enough for him to know that there was a problem, he wanted to be able to solve it, or at least be able to explain it.

But first, he needed some help.

Donnie grimaced as he looked back towards the cliffs, where his brother had stormed off to a few hours ago. He and Raph had gotten into another fight that day. It definitely hadn't been one of their worst ones, but Donnie hated all of their fights equally. He and his brother had nothing and nobody else in the world besides each other. They should be really close, and they were, but they still frequently got on each others nerves constantly. It was exhausting, and emotionally trying. Especially for two people who would much rather push away their emotions, because they were too hard to deal with.

Whenever they fought, Donnie tried to give his brother as much space as he needed to calm down. Sometimes it took just a few minutes, sometimes it could be a couple of days. And Donnie could never predict how long it would take Raph to calm down, not even based off of how bad the fight was. Some of their mildist disagreements had ended with Raph disappearing for two or three days. It was infuriating, and very worrying.

Sometimes though Donnie couldn't help but go after his brother, whether because he needed something, or because he thought that Raph was so upset that he needed at least some form of comfort. Despite the fact that Raph tried to insist on his privacy when he was mad, he had yet to push Donnie away when he came to him. When Donnie was there to help Raph, he was careful not to let his brother know that he was actually there. Raph was a lot more willing to accept help when he didn't know it was being offered. And when Donnie needed help, no matter what Raph's mood was, all he had to do was ask. Raph always did anything he could to help him, even when they were mad at each other.

Donnie steeled himself and made his way towards the cliffs. Even though he was the demigod of the wind, and Raph had dominion over the sea, Raph had always felt more comfortable when he was higher up, where the wind was stronger. Donnie on the other hand liked to stay on sea level. He couldn't even tell you why. Donnie's closest guess was that the sea reminded him of his brother. Rough, unpredictable and uncontrollable, and especially harsh at times, but still nice and gentle.

Donnie liked to think that Raph liked the cliffs because of the wind, the same way that he liked the beach because of the sea, but he couldn't really say for sure. And Donnie was too afraid to ask.

Donnie made his way up the familiar rough path of the cliff. The overrun path was steep and treacherous for normal people, but Donnie was a demigod, and he'd been traveling this path for five hundred years. It gave him no problems, though he rarely decided to be as daring as Raph was. Donnie's brother preferred to climb straight up the cliffside. He said he liked the rush, though Donnie suspected that Raph also used the physical work to calm down his aggression and anger.

When Donnie got to the cliffside he found Raph standing at the edge, glaring out towards the sea. Raph didn't turn towards him, but Donnie knew that he had heard him.

"I'm guessing you saw the storm too," Raph said stiffly. He was clearly still mad about what they'd argued about, but he was doing his best to put his anger aside.

Donnie came to stand next to his brother. "I haven't just seen it, I've felt it," Donnie adjusted his grip on his staff. Raph looked towards him and glowered at the staff slightly, though Donnie completely understood why, and he didn't comment on it. It had been five hundred years since their encounter with Karai, but they both felt the pain as much as they had the day after it had happened. They'd been banished, stripped of a lot of their powers, and their weapon was separated.

Donnie had gotten off lucky. His staff had washed up on shore a few days after they had. They'd never seen any sign of Raph's sais, and Donnie could tell that his brother was missing his weapons deeply, even after all this time. The thing was, their weapons weren't just tools, they were part of them and had been since they'd been adopted by the gods as infants.

Raph took a deep breath and looked back towards the storm. "Any idea what's going on?"

"Oh, I have lots of ideas," Donnie said. He always did. "But I can't actually support any of them."

Raph's expression darkened. As annoyed as he could get when he thought that Donnie was acting too 'smart', Raph got even more furious when Donnie couldn't be confident about his knowledge.

"I might know how we can find out more," Donnie said somewhat reluctantly. He wasn't too eager to share his idea, but Raph shot him a heated glare that let him know that keeping his idea to himself wasn't a good idea.

Donnie sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "...We could always ask the ocean,"

Raph's eyes darkened so much that Donnie was almost worried that his brother was going to hit him. It wouldn't be the first time. "No,"

"It's been almost three hundred years," Donnie pointed out. "Something might have changed."

"Nothing's changed," Raph insisted.

"You don't know that," Donnie said just as strongly. Raph may be stubborn, but so was he. Donnie held his staff out towards Raph. "Please, just give it a try,"

Raph glared at the staff like it was going to bite him before he growled and accepted it. "Don't blame me if this doesn't work," Raph began to make his way down the cliff. Donnie was glad that he'd convinced Raph to at least give things a try, but he was also worried about how Raph might react. This little test that Donnie had convinced his brother to try, it never went the way that either of them wanted it to, and Raph always walked away from it really distressed, and every single time Donnie felt guilty for putting his brother through all that.

They had to give it a try though. Who knows, maybe they would get lucky today.

As they got closer to the water, Raph began storming less and he seemed almost nervous, and definitely cautious as he approached the sea. Donnie waited on the shore as Raph waded out into the water. He couldn't go very far, as they were stuck on this island, but for what he was about to do, the closer Raph was to the water, the better.

Donnie waited anxiously as Raph took in a deep breath and put the end of the staff in the water. "Hey...it's been awhile," Donnie watched as Raph's shoulder's stiffened. "I know I've been ignoring you for a long time, and I...I'm sorry about that, but it's hard, you know? We were so close, but I make just one mistake, and you've left me." Donnie felt his chest twist up. Raph was usually furious when he did this, but he just sounded hurt and upset, and Donnie completely understood why.

Just like how Donnie had a connection with the air, Raph had one with the sea, though it had been a long time since he'd felt anything from the ocean. The sea had abandoned Raph, which was a big blow for someone who'd been given the title of demigod of the sea itself.

Raph tried to reach out to the ocean, but the more he didn't get an answer, the more pointless he felt it was. Four hundred and fifty years ago Donnie had suggested that Raph try using Donnie's staff. It may not be his sais, but it was still a piece of their shared weapon. It should still symbolise his connection to the elements and the gods. Donnie refused to accept that Raph had been abandoned by the sea, but Raph was no longer as hopeful. Now Raph only tried it at Donnie's insistence, and every time he didn't get an answer it was even more time before he dared to try it again.

"Something's going on," Raph said. "I know you can feel it. Me and my brother just want some answers. And after the silent treatment for this long, I think you owe me that much."

They both waited with bated breath for the sea to answer. Neither of them dared to move. They waited for half an hour with no change. Donnie was about to suggest that they call it a day when Raph snapped.

" _Fine!_ " Raph roared at the ocean. He pulled the staff back and Donnie could swear that he was about to throw the staff out into the water in his anger, but Raph surprised him. He instead slammed the staff against the water surface with a furious shout before storming back to the shore.

"Raph…" Donnie reached out towards his brother. Raph just growled and shoved his staff into his hands.

"Forget it," Raph said. His tone was angry, but Donnie could see the pain in his eyes. He was using his anger as a shield to protect himself. "Sorry I couldn't be any help," Before Donnie could say anything else, Raph stalked away, probably going to hide up on his cliff again.

Donnie wanted to go after him, but he didn't know what good it would do. He knew that Raph was feeling abandoned and unworthy, and Donnie didn't know how to change his mind when he was beginning to think that the sea really didn't accept him anymore, which wasn't fair. They'd _both_ gone after the Heart of Miwa, but Raph was the one who had lost his weapons as well the very element that was his to claim.

It was heartbreaking, and absolutely infuriating. Throughout his whole life, Donnie had come across a lot of problems that he couldn't solve or explain, but this one, the one that was making Raph feel like he wasn't good enough, was the one that haunted Donnie everyday.

He just wanted Raph to be happy. That shouldn't be too much to ask for, but apparently it was. They'd made a mistake, and it seemed like this was their punishment. If these past five hundred years were any indication, they were going to be forced to spend the rest of their lives thinking that with all their strengths and powers, it would never be good enough.

_They_ would never be good enough. Never again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, 20,000 words in and I'm bringing in Raph and Donnie. Now, the story really begins. I've been waiting to write Raph and Donnie. I have no idea why it took so long to get this story going. I guess the first few chapters were wanting to be built up slowly, and who knows, maybe the rest of the story will progress just as slowly. I guess only time will tell (because seriously, I have no clue).


	7. Chapter 7

Leo groaned as he vaguely felt his head roll to the side. His head was pounding. It felt like all of the blood had rushed into his head. He was feeling dizzy, and he hadn't even opened his eyes yet. Leo tried to bring his hand to his head, only to find that he couldn't. His arm was restrained. Leo frowned and opened his eyes, only to find himself blinded by the brightness of the sun. It took some time to adjust to it. After about a minute Leo's vision was able to clear up enough for him to be able to get a vague understanding of his surroundings, or at least he was able to understand that he was upside down.

"Wha-" Leo blinked back some blurriness. He lifted his head so he could look down...or maybe up...towards his feet, or more accurately towards his chest, because Leo noticed that his legs, which weren't restrained the same way his chest was, weren't sticking straight up, and were instead dangling awkwardly. It wasn't natural, and Leo could imagine that the only reason his legs weren't hurting was because they were numb, as all of his blood had gone rushing to his head.

Leo struggled, trying to get out of the rope. He could reach the rope with his hands, but he was so disoriented that he could barely get his fingers moving the way that he wanted them to. He wasn't going anywhere.

"Hey!" Leo paused in his struggling when he heard an unfamiliar voice talk to him. Leo turned to see a stranger who was about his age and had brown hair. He cautiously approached, looking at Leo with calculating eyes. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Leo said. He didn't feel perfect, but he could definitely be worse. "Do you know where I am?"

"This is our island," The other teenager said. He was holding tightly to a staff, probably trying to decide whether Leo was a threat or not. "Were you in the storm?"

It all came back to Leo at once, the reason why he'd been tied up. The storm, the rocky seas. He and Mikey hadn't wanted to be tossed into the ocean, so they'd tried to secure themselves. Sure, it was irritating that he was still restrained, but that meant that the rope had been secured. But Mikey, he wasn't here. His rope probably came untied...oh no.

"Please, I need help," Leo said desperately. "My brother, have you seen him?"

The stranger froze, the calculated and almost cold look in his eyes disappearing as he looked somewhat emotional. "You brother?"

"He's blond, a little shorter than me," Leo said, not considering that information might not be so useful while he was tied up like this. "Please, I have to find him," If Mikey had been tossed overboard into the storm, if he had...Leo would never be able to forgive himself if anything had happened to Mikey. He never would have gone out on the ocean if Leo hadn't come up with this whole idea in the first place.

The other teenager swallowed thickly and approached Leo. He eyed the ropes for a second before going at the knot himself. A moment later the knot was undone. Leo would have fallen to the ground if the teenager hadn't caught him. Leo was lowered gently to the ground.

"Thanks," Leo said breathlessly. He really wanted to go after his brother, but he couldn't currently move his legs. He had to give himself time to recover.

"Sorry for the cold reception," The stranger said. "We've never seen other people here before," Leo frowned as he looked around the beach. Now that he was thinking about it, it did look kind of deserted.

"Who else is here?" Leo asked. He didn't think there were a lot of people, as he probably would have seen at least some sign of it if there were.

"It's just me and my brother, Raph," The stranger gave Leo a small smile. "Oh, I'm Donnie,"

"Leo," He looked at Donnie. "How long have you guys been here?"

Donnie grimaced. "Uh, it's been a few years...a lot of years." Leo stared at Donnie in shock. He didn't look any older than Leo was, and yet he'd been here for so long.

"Were you guys shipwrecked too?" Leo asked.

"Something like that," Donnie said, his tone becoming closed off and tense. This clearly wasn't something that he wanted to talk about, so Leo let the matter drop. Donnie handed him his staff, and Leo used it to pull himself to his feet, and then to support himself to keep from falling over. "I haven't seen your brother around, but maybe we'll find him on the other side of the island."

Leo wasn't so sure about that, but he had to at least give it a try. He needed to find Mikey. He needed to know if he was okay, or if he was...no, Leo wasn't even going to consider it. He refused. Mikey was fine. He had to be. "Let's go."

* * *

Stupid ocean. Stupid gods. They'd supposedly chosen him, and now they were just leaving him out to dry. What was even the point of that? He and Donnie had been deemed worthless from the moment they were born, before they'd even had the chance to show just what they could do. The gods had decided to have mercy on them, but Leo wasn't so sure that it was such a great blessing anymore. It was starting to feel like the gods had only spared the two of them because they'd thought that Raph and Donnie deserved more punishment than just being abandoned as children.

It was cruel. Sure, the gods had saved them, but Raph and Donnie had been so young that they hadn't even known what they'd done wrong, or what was happening. Now, they both knew better. They were aware of the pain that was being thrown at them, and they could recognize how unfair it was. They could actually feel betrayed. It was horrible to hurt someone who didn't know any better, but it was cruel to pretend that you were helping someone, only to give them a false sense of hope just so you could hurt them again later.

Donnie kept on trying to tell Raph that he was being unreasonable and unfair towards the gods, but he couldn't help it, and he definitely wasn't about to apologize for it. So what if he was angry at the gods? What were they going to do, strip him of his powers? Isolate him from humanity, when all he'd been trying to do was give the humans a way to live without depending on unreliable gods who sometimes couldn't care less? The gods had already done that. The only thing they could do to him now was take his brother from him, but they wouldn't dare. If the gods even considered separating Raph from Donnie, he would never forgive them. In fact, Raph would make it his life's work to destroy the gods, because immortal deities or not, nobody messed with Raph's family.

Raph scowled as he glared out towards the ocean. He didn't know what he'd done so bad. Yeah, he'd stolen from a goddess, but so had Donnie, and yet the wind was still talking to Donnie. Was it because Raph had lost his sais? That would be infuriating, because at first Donnie had lost his staff too, but it had still washed up on shore. The ocean had gone and given Donnie's staff back to him.

But Raph, the demigod of the freaking _sea_ , apparently didn't deserve the same luxury. No, instead, for some reason, the ocean hated him, and refused to even talk with him long enough to tell him why. It wasn't fair. Nothing about any of this was freaking fair.

Raph flinched when he felt the water brush up against his feet. He had been careful to sit away from the shoreline. The water shouldn't reach him from here, and yet it had. Raph glared at the ocean. "What, so _now_ you want to talk?" Raph tried to kick at the water, but at the last second it pulled away from his read. Raph scowled and stood up. He'd known that this wasn't just the ocean acting like the ocean, this was the sentient water that used to be his partner, his friend.

"What do you want from me?" Raph shouted. "If you're going to abandon me, why can't you just leave me alone already?"

The water drew up close to Raph's feet again. Raph closed his eyes and clenched his fists as he felt the water thicken around his feet, like it was grabbing him. The grip wasn't threatening, but it was definitely insistent. The ocean wanted something from him, because _of course_ it did. Why else would the ocean finally be talking to him? Goodness knows it couldn't be because the ocean actually _liked_ the demigod that it had chosen. Now _that_ would be ridiculous.

Raph growled as he opened his eyes and glared out towards the ocean. Well, if he finally had the ocean's attention, he might as well give it a piece of his mind. Raph was just about to tell the ocean just what he thought of it, but stopped when he saw something out there. Day after day, ever since they'd landed on this stupid island, Raph had only ever seen the ocean as smooth and empty. Nothing had ever been out there, so it was almost strange to see something now out there in the distance. Even weirder though, it seemed like the water was trying to pull him out towards it.

"You've got a _lot_ of nerve," Raph seethed. "I dedicate my life to you, and you think you get to ask me any favors?" Raph had half a mind to just walk away and never even look towards the sea again, but...well, as furious as Raph was, it also felt kind of nice that the ocean was acknowledging his existence again. It was pathetic just how desperate Raph was for the ocean's attention.

Besides, Raph may not be as curious as Donnie, but he still wanted to know just what was out there. First there had been a storm out there, and now there was something out in the water. Something weird was going on, and Raph wanted to know what it was.

"...Alright, fine," Raph walked out towards the water. "But you owe me one after this," Raph was done with being the gods' little lap dog.

This wasn't the first time that Raph had walked out into the ocean, though he'd never gone very far. He didn't even think about it, because Raph knew that if he tried to leave this island he would just be tossed right back here. But if the ocean was specifically asking him to go out there, Raph had to have its approval. This had to work.

Raph walked through the water until it reached his chest. This was the farthest he'd gone, but he still had a ways to go. He had to swim from here. Raph took a deep breath and dove into the water. He swam towards the figure in the ocean.

It felt...weird, to be swimming again. The ocean was surrounding him completely, and if they had a decent relationship with each other it would probably feel great. He might have seen it as reassuring, like the ocean had his back and wouldn't let him down. With their history though, Raph just felt restricted and held back, like the ocean was only watching him so closely because it was expecting him to miss things up every second now. It was stressful.

As Raph got closer he saw that the figure was a person, a teenager. They were just floating on the surface of the water. The teenager was unconscious, at the very least, but they didn't seem in any danger of sinking. The ocean was keeping them afloat, which meant that this was someone that the ocean cared about.

Well, wasn't that just fantastic. The only reason that the ocean had started talking to him again was because it wanted to show off its new favorite. Raph knew that the ocean couldn't just want him to help this person, because if the water was able to keep someone from sinking, it could certainly drag them to the shore itself.

This was demeaning, and useless, but he'd come this far, and Raph wasn't about to take any chances with this person. He wasn't about to let a kid drown just because he was made at the ocean.

Raph wrapped an arm around the other teenager's chest, pulling him close. Once Raph was sure that he had a secure grip on the teenager he began the swim back to the island. This time, the water felt different. It wasn't the stifling and overwhelming ocean that Raph knew, it was just fluid, gentle, unthinking water, and Raph resented it for that. Apparently the ocean didn't care as much about this kid as Raph thought it did, if it couldn't even be bothered to make sure that they were okay.

Just once, Raph wished that the ocean would be a little more consistent and make up its mind.

Finally, Raph was able to pull the kid to the shore. He laid the kid out on the sand. The other teenager was unconscious, but Raph was positive that he could see the kid breathing. So he was alive, at least that was something.

Raph sighed. He was way too tired to be dealing with this. He looked out towards the water, which seemed to be back to its calm and quiet self. It should be soothing, but Raph thought that it was just mocking him.

Raph frowned and laid down next to the unconscious teenager. He stared up at the clear blue sky, with not a cloud in sight. Now this, this felt calming. The sky was always there, completely surrounding him, a lot like the ocean was, but it felt different. While the ocean was trapping him here on this stupid island, ignoring him until it wanted something from him, the sky was like an old friend. It made Raph feel like they had an escape from their island prison, promising a whole world just waiting out there for them. The wind spoke to Donnie, and it comforted Raph. If it weren't for the wind, Raph would think that the gods had all abandoned and forgotten about them.

"Hey, Raph," He looked to the side when he heard his brother's voice. Donnie usually gave Raph a lot more time after there was conflict between each other, or at the very least he was more cautious when approaching him. "We've got a guest,"

"Yeah, no kidding," Raph sat up and gestured to the kid next to him. "What, you find a stray too?" There wasn't that much of a point in asking, Raph could clearly see the black haired boy standing behind Donnie. The stranger didn't acknowledge Raph at all. When he caught sight of the teenager next to Raph, he quickly rushed to his side, dropping Donnie's staff on the way.

"Mikey!" The stranger pushed Raph out of the way and knelt next to the unconscious boy. The teenager shook Mikey's shoulders before he seemed to realize the obvious, that he was unconscious. The teenager snapped his head to the side and glared darkly at Raph. "What happened?"

Raph scowled. What was with the accusing tone? "I just saved this kid from drowning," Raph growled. Donnie stared at him in shock.

"You saved him?" Donnie looked at how soaked Raph was. "You mean, from the ocean?"

The black haired teenager gave Donnie an odd look. "What's so weird about that?"

Donnie looked conflicted. He loved explaining things, but he knew that this wasn't his secret, and Raph wasn't all that eager for a total stranger to know that he'd been rejected by the ocean.

Thankfully Donnie was spared from choosing what to say as the kid that Raph had grabbed began to wake up.

"Ehn...everything hurts," Mikey groaned as his arm twitched. He opened his eyes and looked up at the teenager next to him. "Leo...what happened?"

"The storm," Leo helped Mikey sit up. "Remind me to teach you how to tie a proper knot," Leo wrapped his arms around Mikey's shoulders and hugged him tightly. "Never do that again,"

"Okay, hang on," Donnie said, and Raph knew that look in his eyes well. He had questions, and he wanted answers. "What do you mean you saved him from drowning?" Donnie looked at Raph. "Was he actually out in the ocean?"

"He was far enough out there that I couldn't see that it was a person from here," Raph said quietly. Donnie stared at him in shock.

"The-the ocean let you swim all the way out there?" Donnie sounded somewhat hopeful. He was probably hoping that this was a sign that the ocean was forgiving Raph for whatever he'd done wrong.

Raph shook his head, feeling too bitter to even feel a little guilty about crushing his brother's hopes. "The ocean practically dragged me out there," Raph glowered at the water, which was looking way too innocent. He didn't buy the act though, he knew what it had done. "The water was keeping this kid up when I got there. It wasn't going to let anything happen to him. The sea just wanted _me_ to be the one to help him."

"You talk about the ocean like it's sentient," Mikey said. He didn't say it like it was completely crazy, more like it was just an interesting note. Like Mikey knew that the ocean was more alive than it acted like it was, but it was a secret that only a chosen few people were privy to. Raph felt a strange feeling build up in his chest. He hadn't seriously thought that the ocean had actually seen Mikey as something special. Just how much did the ocean care about him? What was so special about this mortal? What did he have that Raph didn't?

Donnie could see how tense and seething Raph was getting, and he stepped in before things could get much worse. "I'm glad you found your brother," Donnie said to Leo. "That looked like a pretty bad wreck,"

Raph blinked. "Wreck...like, from a ship?" Do they have a boat here?" Raph asked a little too eagerly. Raph may not be on very good terms with the ocean at the moment, but Donnie's relationship with the wind was as strong as ever. If they had something like a ship or a boat, then they could leave just so long as it had a sail that could be pushed by the wind. They could get off this island.

Donnie gave Raph a sharp look. "Raphael, do you really think that this is the best time for this?" Raph rolled his eyes. What did Donnie want from him? They'd been on this island for five hundred years, could he really be faulted for wanting to get off?

"What? I'm sure these guys want to get off this rock just like we do," Raph looked at Leo and Mikey for backup, but they were both just looking at him in shock. Mikey almost seemed in awe, and Leo looked a little horrified.

"You...your Raphael?" Leo pointed at him. Raph raised an eyebrow at him, but before he could answer Leo turned to Donnie. "What about you? Don't tell me that Donnie is short for Donatello."

Donnie narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Leo. "How do you know us?"

"Oh my gosh!" Mikey exclaimed, his eyes wide with excitement. "You're the demigod brothers!"

Donnie and Raph looked at each other before Raph turned to Mikey. "You... _know_ us?" Sure, five hundred years ago it had been normal to run into someone who had heard of them, but after all this time? Were they still known among the mortals? And sure, Leo didn't look impressed, but Mikey certainly did. Raph couldn't believe it. There were mortals out there who admired them? Who liked them? That...that was actually the best news that Raph had heard in a long time.

"Our dad used to tell us about your legend all the time!" Mikey said. Raph felt his excitement dim slightly. Legend, as in singular. He and Donnie had done so much, would it really all be summed up in just one 'legend'?

Donnie also looked confused. "What legend?"

The heart of Miwa," Leo said simply, coldly. Donnie tensed and Raph felt the strong urge to hit something. After everything they'd done, everything they'd gone through, the only thing they were known for by the mortals was the one mistake they'd made? What about all the good they'd done? All the people they'd helped. All of the ways they'd helped the humans to progress and thrive without the gods.

Would they ever get away from this stupid Heart of Miwa?

Mikey seemed to sense the tension between all of them. "Hey, I've never been on any island except for ours," Mikey said cheerfully, just a little forcefully. "Can you guys show us around?"

Raph rolled his eyes. There wasn't all that much to see, Mikey had to be able to tell that much, but he sincerely wanted to see the island. Either that, or he sincerely wanted to change the conversation. And if they had been about to continue talking about the Heart of Miwa, then Raph really couldn't blame Mikey for wanting a change in conversation, because he actually wanted the same thing. "Yeah, we can give you the grand tour." Besides, if it let Raph get a look on this boat of theirs, he was all for it. If the wrecked boat was even the least bit salvageable, Raph wanted to see it for himself.

Leo didn't seem all that eager to drop what was on his mind, but Mikey took his arm and looked at him with wide puppy-eyes. There seemed to be a silent conversation going on between the two of them before Leo sighed and nodded. Whatever that little battle of wills had been about, Mikey had just won it.

Raph didn't let himself relax a lot though. He didn't know Leo that well, but the teenager seemed proud, and arrogant, probably super self righteous. Raph was going to be surprised if Leo actually let the matter drop for good.

But Mikey had bought Raph some time to figure out how to avoid the conversation at all, so that had to be good enough for now. He'd figure it out though, or maybe Donnie would, because Raph knew that his brother wanted to get away from their past just as much as he did. Or maybe Mikey would come up with another distraction.

Whatever the case, Raph was going to make sure that they didn't talk abouted the cursed Heart of Miwa. He didn't know what Leo was so mad at them for, and he didn't care. Raph thought that he and his brother had suffered enough for their little lapse in judgement. Despite what the ocean and the gods, and apparently Leo too, seemed to think, they didn't deserve what they'd been through, and Raph wasn't about to just roll over and let it continue.

Even if he himself didn't deserve the best things in the world, Donnie definitely did, and Raph was going to do whatever he could to make sure he got it.


	8. Chapter 8

Donnie frowned and looked at his brother, who was not being very subtle about his interest in the boat that had wrecked on their beach. Sure, Donnie was just as interested in getting off the island as Raph was, but he wasn't showing his desperation so blatantly.

As soon as Donnie and Leo had brought them to where the ship was, Raph went to the wreck and single handedly moved it back upright again. The ship wasn't all that damaged. A little worse for wear, but Donnie wasn't so sure that a lot of this damage had come from this particular wreck.

"Huh, the boat doesn't look all that bad," Mikey said thoughtfully. He went to the boat and immediately opened up a secret latch that Donnie assumed was meant for storing provisions under the boards. Mikey let out a sound that was very similar to a screech as he reached into the storage space and pulled out...a cat?

"Mayunk, you're okay!" Mikey untied the rope that had been wrapped around the cat. Mikey laughed and clutched the cat tightly, looking at Leo in glee. "It's a good thing you were the one that tied him up."

"I can't believe that cat is alive," Leo looked as astonished by this fact as Donnie felt. Leo grinned and scratched the cat's ears, making it purr happily as it leaned into his touch.

"It's just like when he washed up on our island all those years ago," Mikey commented happily. "He's a cat of the ocean," Donnie instinctively winced and looked towards his brother. Raph was rather touchy about any mention of the ocean, but Donnie was surprised to see that Raph didn't become tense or upset. Raph was watching the cat with quiet, cautious curiosity. Donnie couldn't help but smile when he saw that look in his brother's eyes. He didn't see that look very often, but he recognized it immediately, and it was one of his favorite expressions on Raph's face.

Mikey took notice of it too. He didn't know Raph as well as Donnie did, but it wasn't like Raph was being all that subtle about what was on his mind. "Do you want to hold her?" Mikey asked as he held out the cat in his arms.

Raph blinked and for a minute it seemed like he was about to refuse, but after a tense moment he nodded and approached Mikey. Raph gently accepted the cat from Mikey's arms. It didn't seem very happy to be with this new person, as immediately the cat began to meow and squirm. Donnie cringed when he saw the cat's claws dig into his brother's arm, but Raph didn't seem to care at all.

"So...Mayunk?" Raph gave Mikey a strange look. Most people would see that look and think that they were being judged, but Donnie knew that his brother was just curious and a little confused. "Is he your pet or something?"

"Something like that," Mikey said as he began to pet the cat in an attempt to calm it down. "She's kinda mine, and kinda my friend, April's. We couldn't agree on a name. I was thinking Klunk, but April really wanted Mayhem, so we decided to combine the names. Mayunk."

Donnie rolled his eyes. It sounded like a rudimentary compromise to him. Raph, on the other hand, was amused by the name. "I like it," Raph smiled at the cat and stroked her, only to draw back and flinch when Mayunk bit him. Mikey yelped in alarm and took back the cat before it could attack Raph any more. Mayunk calmed down once it was back in Mikey's arms, and Raph took this opportunity to continue petting the cat more.

Donnie shook his head as he watched his brother. Raph was incredibly stubborn, and had the habit of not learning from his mistakes. When Raph acted like this, Donnie couldn't help but remind his brother that insanity was doing the same thing and expecting different results. Raph would just shrug and keep on doing what he was doing.

"Is your brother a big fan of cats?" Leo asked Donnie. He looked like he didn't know what to think of Raph, which Donnie supposed was a step above straight up animosity.

"He likes all animals," Donnie said, and that was an understatement. Raph seemed to feel some kind of connection with animals. Often when Raph didn't feel like he could talk to anybody else, he could talk through his feelings with animals. They didn't judge him. They didn't make him feel like he'd done anything wrong. Animals just listened quietly.

And one of their most distinct powers was the ability to transform into animals. Ever since he'd lost his sais, Raph had been unable to transform at all, which Donnie knew was something he really struggled with.

"Is that why he has all those tattoos?" Leo asked, talking about the dozens of tattoos on both of Raph's arms. Donnie grimaced and adjusted the wrappings he regularly kept tied around his arms, which acted as a make-shift sleeve. He ignored the strange glance that Leo gave him when he noticed the action.

"That's...part of it," Donnie said, his tone making it clear that he wasn't about to talk any more about it. Honestly, Raph had gotten tattoos of all of his favorite animals partially because he felt a connection to them, but mostly because of... _other_ reasons. The same reason why Donnie kept his own arms covered at all times. Reasons that Donnie didn't want to even think about.

"O-okay," Leo didn't look like he wanted to drop the matter, but he didn't push more. "So, how long do you think it will take to get this boat water-worthy again?"

"Not long," Donnie said as he looked away from his brother and turned to the boat. "It would be a lot worse if you hadn't taken down your sail before you got hit by the storm." Donnie could only assume that was what had happened, as the sail was folded up and shoved unceremoniously under the boards. He couldn't imagine them getting this far out to sea without the use of their cell. "A few of these boards may have to be replaced, but other than that I think we're good to go."

Leo gave a sigh of relief. "That's good. Maybe we'll still be able to do this before it's too late,"

Donnie narrowed his eyes at Leo. "Too late for what? Why are you two in such a hurry?" Donnie knew why he and Raph wanted to get off the island, because they'd been here for five hundred years and that was way too long to be on one limbo island.

"Our island is dying," Mikey cut in. "We wanted to save it,"

Raph looked at Mikey in annoyance and slight confusion. "And how were you planning on doing that?"

Mikey grabbed his necklace and took it off. "With this," Raph took the necklace, looking skeptical about it. Raph looked at it for a moment before his eyes widened in horror. Raph clenched his fist around the necklace before he ran towards the water. Before the others could stop him, Raph pulled his arm back and threw the necklace as far as he could, which was pretty darn far.

"Raph!" Donnie gave his brother a scolding look. Mikey and Leo seemed less angry and more panicked about Raph's action. Leo looked about ready to swim out there after it, which Donnie didn't completely understand. It was just a necklace, after all. Before any of them could think of what action to take, a wave began to approach the beach.

Donnie stared at the water in quiet awe, clutching his staff tightly. There was only the smallest of breezes, certainly not enough to cause a wave, and yet one was approaching them. The ocean, it had returned. Donnie hadn't seen it in so long, not like this.

Donnie's awe and slight respect sank when he saw the wave rise up until it was nearly ten feet tall before it came crashing down on top of Raph with so much force that it knocked him over. Donnie rushed to his brother's side and helped him up. Physically, Raph looked fine, just wet and a little dazed. But considering the ocean, which had once been Raph's partner and friend, had just attacked him so ruthlessly after ignoring him for five hundred years, Donnie doubted that Raph was anything close to fine.

Donnie expected Raph to start shouting at the ocean, like he frequently did, but instead his brother just looked almost blankly towards mikey. Donnie followed his gaze. They could see that the water had calmed and had flowed gently towards Mikey. A pillar of water rose up in front of the teenager, his necklace floating on top of it.

Mikey gave the ocean a small but sincere smile as he took back his necklace. "Thanks," Mikey said easily, like talking to the ocean was second nature for him, like this kind of thing happened all the time. Raph must have noticed the same thing because he growled and pushed himself to his feet. Raph snatched Donnie's staff away from him and stormed over to the pillar of water. Raph swung the staff at the pillar and let out a shout that was full of raw emotion that had been building up for the past five hundred years. The staff connected with the water, making the pillar collapse and retreat back into the ocean, though not before squirting Raph in the face all over again.

"Are you kidding me?!" Raph charged at the ocean, but this time Donnie grabbed a hold of his arm and held him back. Raph only half-heartedly fought against him. "What did I _ever_ do to you?"

"What, is it not enough that you stole from a goddess and put the whole world at risk for the sake of your pride?" Leo crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at Raph, who growled at him. Donnie stepped between Raph and Leo, claiming his staff back from his brother. He wasn't trying to keep Raph from attacking their guest, but the other way around.

"Don't talk about things you don't understand," Donnie said lowly as he glared at Leo. A strong gust of wind blew past them, a warning. Leo looked surprised at the sudden aggression. Donnie knew that Raph didn't like it when he fought his battles for him, but he wasn't about to sit to the side and let his brother be talked to like this. They'd _both_ stolen the heart from Miwa. If Raph deserved to be punished for his crime, then Donnie did too and they deserved the exact same punishment, which wasn't what they were getting.

"Leo, back off," Mikey said. "Maybe they had a good excuse?" Mikey fidgeted with his necklace, which Raph was watching with caution.

"You guys wouldn't understand," Raph said unhappily as he still refused to take his eyes off the necklace.

Leo was unimpressed. "You guys are kids, just like us." Raph snorted, and Donnie couldn't help but share in his amusement. They'd been on this island alone for five hundred years. They weren't immortal, but they were pretty darn close to it. Definitely close enough for it to be ridiculous to be called 'kids'. "What could you possibly go through that we wouldn't understand?"

"Why don't you go get yourself trapped on an island for a couple of centuries, and then ask me that again," Raph clenched his fists. He looked ready for a fight. Donnie was surprised that his brother hadn't already started a fight with the other boys. He seemed to be trying to hold himself back today.

"Guys, why don't we all chill out?" Mikey suggested. He took in a slow, deep breath, bringing his hand up along with his air, and then lowered it as he let his air out. Donnie didn't know why Mikey was trying to give an example of how to calm down, but he wasn't in the mood to disagree with him at that moment. Let Mikey do what he wanted.

"Okay, now, why don't we get to work on this boat? We all want to get off this island, right? We can talk about what to do from there," Mikey suggested cheerfully. Raph didn't look like he was in the mood to behave civilly around Mikey and Leo, and honestly Donnie wasn't feeling all that welcoming either. However, Mikey had a point. They may not have the same goal, but they definitely had the same first step, so why didn't they at least help each other out with that?

"...Fine," Leo sighed. "You said we needed to replace some boards. Would any trees around here work for that?"

"Some of them should," Donnie said. "Me and Raph can go get the wood while you two get the sail back up."

Mikey and Leo looked at each other in alarm. Leo looked sheepish and embarrassed. Mikey cleared his throat. "Okay, uh, you think one of you guys can walk us through how to do that? We're kinda new to this whole sailing thing."

'Seriously?" Raph crossed his arms and stared at the two of them. Donnie just groaned and put a hand to his face.

"What were you guys doing on a _sail_ boat if you don't know the first thing about sailing?" Donnie asked, already knowing that he wouldn't like the answer.

"Hey, we know how to sail," Leo said defensively before he looked away and rubbed the back of his neck. "At least, we've got an idea of what the basics are."

"I don't even know how you two are still alive right now," Raph grabbed the sail. "Donnie, why don't you take one of these idiots to go get that wood, and the idiot can help me out with this." Leo seethed, but as he began to retort Mikey stepped in excitedly.

"Oh, I'll go with you," Mikey looked to Donnie. "I may not know a lot about boats, but I know plants." If what Mikey said was true, he just may come in handy. They wanted sturdy wood that was similar in structure to what the boat was made of. If Mikey knew about plants like he claimed, he may be able to identify the right tree for them to get their wood from.

"At least one of you is useful," Raph grumbled as he unfolded the sail and grabbed some extra rope. Donnie expected a fight to break out, and he wondered if Leo and Raph would need a mediator, but before he could properly consider it Mikey took his hand and began to pull him towards the few trees that were around the island.

"So...your brother seems kinda intense," Mikey said conversationally. Donnie chuckled. That was an understatement.

"He takes some getting used to," Donnie said. "He's not that bad once you get to know him though." Donnie grimaced as he saw Mikey fiddling with his necklace again. He felt the need to apologize on his brother's behalf. "I'm sorry that Raph tried to throw away your necklace."

"It's fine," Mikey waved away his apology and just put his necklace back on again. "I'm glad the ocean got it back to me." Donnie winced and Mikey watched him curiously. "What do you and Raph have against the ocean?"

Donnie sighed and clutched his staff tightly. "Today's the first time that the ocean's actually talked to us since we got here, and, you know, it's not acting all that gently. When you think about it, that's kinda a bit of a blow for someone who is supposed to be the ocean's chosen champion."

Mikey frowned slightly. "Oh yeah, Raph is the demigod of the ocean, isn't he?" Donnie nodded. "I guess I'd be pretty mad too."

"He's been through a lot these past few centuries," Donnie said tiredly. "We both have."

"Well, maybe you can change all that," Mikey said optimistically. He held out his necklace to Donnie, who, curious to see what was so important about it, accepted it. As Donnie touched the purple stone, it flashed pink. Donnie flipped the stone over to get a look at it and yelped when he saw a familiar flower symbol on it. Donnie instinctively dropped the stone.

"The...you have the heart of Miwa…" Donnie said in a quiet, horrified voice.

Mikey bent down and picked up his necklace again. "I guess you and Raph don't like this very much,"

"That stone is nothing but trouble," Donnie stepped back from the stone. He understood why Raph had tried to get rid of it. "Even before we got our hands on it,"

"What do you mean?" Mikey asked, genuinely curious.

Miwa used that thing to create life," Donnie said. "After she went to sleep, every power hungry god, human, and monster was out to get the heart."

"Including you and your brother," Mikey commented. He didn't sound like he was judging them, but Donnie felt himself getting defensive and on guard anyways.

"We didn't want that thing for power," Donnie insisted.. "I mean, yeah, power is great, but we were actually planning on giving that power to the humans,"

"You guys...you stole it for _us?_ " Mikey's eyes softened. "Why?"

"So you wouldn't have to depend on the gods for your every need," Donnie said. "This isn't the only time that we've done something for the sake of humanity. We continued Miwa's work of raising islands up from the ocean. We introduced fire to humanity. We protected mankind from monsters." Donnie sighed. "And like you said, the only thing we're known for is our quest that went wrong."

Mikey looked at the necklace, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "Well, if you help us to save the world, me and Leo can help tell your story. It sounds like you guys aren't just champions for the gods, but champions for all of humanity."

Donnie frowned, thinking it over. "...You guys would do that?"

"Yeah, I mean, people deserve to be acknowledged for more than just their mistakes," Mikey said. "But because of what you guys did, the world is dying. We have to save it, or at least try." Donnie wasn't completely on board with the idea, but it was something to at least consider.

"For now, why don't we think about getting off this island?" Donnie suggested. They were approaching the trees, which Mikey quickly approached. The teenager began to look at the trees over, touching the bark, looking at the leaves. Mikey even looked at the sticks on the ground near the trees. Finally Mikey put his hand on a tree.

"This one," Mikey said confidently. "This type of wood is study, but not so dense that it will sink. We use trees similar to this to make our fishing rafts,"

"That should do fine," Donnie gently put his staff down and grabbed the makeshift axe that Raph had made for him about four hundred years ago. Raph had been trying to find a replacement for his sais. Nothing ever felt right for him, but the weapons came in handy sometimes.

Donnie may not be very happy with Raph's old decision to become a warrior, and even after all this time he still didn't like the one who had encouraged and worked with Raph during that time. Still, Donnie had to admit that a lot of the things that Raph had learned during that time had come in handy. That didn't mean that he had to like it though.

Donnie got to work at the tree. Fortunately, the trunk wasn't very thick, so it shouldn't take too long for him to do this, but it would still be faster if there were more hands working on this. "Raph has a hatchet with him. Can you see if you can borrow it so we can get some real work going on this tree?"

"I'm on it," Mikey ran back towards the beach where the others were. It was only after he was gone did Donnie consider that maybe he should have been the one to talk to Raph. Even if Raph wasn't as possessive of his homemade weapons as he had been of the sais that had been gifted to him by the gods, but he was still reluctant to let them out of his hands.

Mikey was already on his way though, and Donnie couldn't always be there to play mediator on Raph's behalf. If they were going to be getting off this island and rejoining humanity than Raph would need to learn how to get along with others anyways.

Besides, Mikey would only be gone for a minute or two. How much trouble could they possibly get into during that time?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea when I decided that the ocean would be a big jerk to Raph. It just kinda happened, so I'm playing it up. It just feels natural. Especially with what I'm planning on doing with Raph's character and his relationship with Leo and Mikey.


	9. Chapter 9

Leo frowned as he watched Raph work getting the sail set up. Leo wanted to know how to do it for himself, but Raph wasn't willing to even let him get a closer look, let alone teach him. Leo was willing to learn, if only Raph was willing to show him. But instead Raph did what seemed to be a two-man job on his own, muttering bitterly to himself about how useless and foolish Leo was. What was this guy's problem? Yeah, it was probably stupid to go out on a sailboat when you didn't properly know how to use it, but they didn't exactly have a choice.

Raph's bitterness was making Leo feel pretty irritated himself, and he had a couple of things to say about the foolishness of Raph and Donnie. But while Raph thought that Leo was dumb because he didn't know how to do something that Raph thought was simple and obvious, even though Leo had never been taught, Leo _knew_ that Raph really was a fool, because he'd gone and stolen something that he knew was best to be left alone.

Leo typically tried to not judge people before he got to know them, but he didn't think he liked these two demigods very much.

Raph and Donnie were responsible for everything that had been going wrong back home. April and so many other people on their island were sick. Their fish had left and their agriculture was dying, and it wouldn't be long before everyone in the village was starving. If this trouble had been spreading for five hundred years, then who knows how many islands had fallen victim to the stupidity of these two demigods?

If the two of them were willing to help them to fix things, then Leo would be all for giving them a second chance. Everybody made mistakes, even if some mistakes were worse than others. The important thing though was to try to remedy the situation. If you run from your past mistakes, then in Leo's opinion you just keep on messing up. Why should he forgive someone who had no intention of making things better?

Leo was also annoyed that Raph and Donnie didn't even seem to regret what they had done. They resented the world and the gods for their punishment, not seeming to understand that after what they had done, endangering the world, they _deserved_ to face the consequences. Now they were being given the chance to fix everything, and they just wanted to run and hide again. Leo had no reason to think that these guys were good people, and yet his brother was interacting with them as though they were old friends.

Leo scowled as he watched Raph finish raising the sail on their small boat. "There," Raph put his hand on the mast. "As soon as Donnie and Mikey get back with that wood, we can fix up the boards, and we'll be good to go,"

"Leo! Raph!" Mikey came running towards them. Raph immediately stiffed, seeming to expect the worst.

"Where's Donnie?" Raph growled.

"Oh, he's fine," Mikey slowed down as he approached them. Leo knew that there hadn't been a problem. Mikey was enthusiastic about a lot of things, so just because he was running and shouting that didn't mean that there was necessarily something wrong. No, if there really was a problem, Mikey would have said so already. "He sent me to come get your hatchet, so we can cut down the tree faster."

Raph looked towards where Donnie still was. He seemed to be looking for something, though Leo had a feeling that it wasn't his brother. After a moment Raph turned to Mikey and Leo. "Actually, I don't have it on me right now. Why don't you guys come with me to go get it? We've got a whole bunch of weapons that will probably come in handy, but I won't be able to carry all of it."

"We can help," Mikey said, volunteering Leo without really asking about it. This wasn't the first time that Mikey had dragged Leo into doing something with him. At this point, Leo knew that he wouldn't really be able to talk Mikey out of it, so there wasn't much of a point in arguing.

"Yeah, let's go," Leo sighed. He looked towards the boat one more time before turning towards Raph, who looked annoyed about something.

"Just keep up," Raph said in irritation as he lead the way. Mikey was quick to follow Raph, with Leo bringing up the rear. He wanted to make sure that the demigod didn't do anything. The three of them walked in silence for a bit before Mikey seemed to get tired of the tense quiet.

"So, Raph, Donnie told me about some of the cool things you guys did," Mikey said, glancing quickly back at Leo before turning his attention back to their companion. Raph scowled slightly, though Leo noticed that he seemed more guarded than angry.

Raph eyed Mikey cautiously, trying to judge just what his motivation was when asking the question. Finally Raph seemed convinced that Mikey's question was sincere and without ulterior motives, and he relaxed slightly. "Oh, man, I think we saw and did it all. You island boys have no idea just what is out there in this world of yours."

"Donnie mentioned something about monsters," Mikey said, looking way too excited about it.

Leo frowned. "Monsters?" Sure, it was understandable that if this myth was true, then some of the other myths that Splinter had told them were probably true too, but it was strange to think about. It was one thing to truly comprehend that the world was bigger than just their island, and a whole other thing that there was more to their world than just the world. "If there are so many creatures and monsters, why haven't we seen them before?"

Raph rolled his eyes. "Just because I say that something is a monster doesn't mean that they're all the kind who hide under your beds. Most monsters just mind their own business and hang out in their own dimension. A lot of them just pretend that humans don't exist at all."

"A dimension of monsters?" Mikey sounded in awe, like this was just another bedtime story that Splinter was telling them, not a true story.

"Well, that's what humans call them," Raph said. "A lot of them prefer mutants, or maybe yokai, depending on who you ask."

"Yokai…" Leo had heard Splinter use that word a couple of times. According to Splinter, it was a word that their ancestors had used for demons. He would probably prefer to use the word 'mutant', because monsters demons and yokai brought specific images to Leo's mind. It made him think of scary, evil, man eating creatures. Raph didn't seem to mean anything like that when he talked about them. To him, they were creatures, just like humans.

Leo wanted to meet some mutants for himself. He wanted to really get to know the world around him, to really understand everything, and that meant being familiar with all creatures, not just the mortals.

"Are there any other creatures on this island?" Leo asked. "Or is it just you and you brother?"

Raph's expression darkened. "It's basically just us," Raph roughly pushed aside some leaves that were in their way. Mikey quickly stepped in and stopped the leaves from snapping back too harshly. Mikey guided the leaves as they fell back into place as Raph stormed on ahead towards a cliff at the center of the island. Once Mikey had made sure that the plants were unharmed, he ran to catch up to the demigod.

They walked in silence for a minute before Raph sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "...Actually, a couple of times I've seen a few birds around the island. There was a hawk that came to see me once, and an albatross," A small smile slipped onto Raph's face. "I've mostly seen this one pigeon around. He always seems to come see me when I'm at my lowest."

"A pigeon?" Mikey frowned slightly. "What was it doing all the way out here? I didn't think they were the kind of bird who made long journeys over the ocean,"

Raph shrugged. "Probably not, but I'm not questioning it. I was just glad for the company." They approached the cliff and Leo noticed that there was a cave there. The cave didn't look natural, it looked more like it had been carved right out of the cliffside. Considering how long Raph and Donnie had been here, and the fact that they were something more than human, Leo thought it was actually entirely possible.

Raph paused in front of the cave. He seemed reluctant about something. Raph turned and looked toward Mikey, his gaze lingering on the Heart of Miwa. Leo didn't like the look in Raph's eyes. He's seen that same look just before Raph had thrown the necklace out in the ocean. Raph seemed scared, to the point that he was just seconds away from doing something hasty that Leo probably wouldn't like.

After a long, tense moment Raph's expression hardened. He seemed to come to a decision. Leo just wished that he knew what that decision was. "Come on," Raph turned and gestured into the cave. "My hatchet's in there. If you grab that, I can go get some other stuff that I've got around here." He was up to something, and Leo didn't trust him. Mikey seemed perfectly content with Raph's suggestion, and he pulled Leo into the cave with him.

As much as Leo didn't want to let Raph out of his sight, he did appreciate that he was alone with his brother again. Some privacy was nice, and Leo had a few things that he wanted to go over with Mikey. "Do you really trust these guys?"

"Well, yeah," Mikey said easily, like he hadn't even considered the alternative. "They seem nice," When Leo raised an eyebrow at him he laughed slightly. "I mean, they're nice to each other, at least. They seem to really care about each other, and I think the best way to tell what someone is really like is looking at their relationship with their family." Leo didn't exactly agree. Family was important, there was no doubt about that, but Leo imagined that there were loads of good people who didn't have all that good of relationships with their family, and people who weren't all that good at all but had fantastic relationships with their family.

"They stole the Heart of Miwa," Leo reminded his brother. "The world is in danger because of them,"

"I don't think they knew what would happen," Mikey said. "And Splinter told us that lots of people were trying to steal the heart, remember? Donnie said the same thing."

"That doesn't make it any better," Leo hissed. All that showed was that Raph and Donnie seemed to think that it was okay to something bad just because they thought other people were going to do it too. Doing something because of peer pressure didn't mean that you suddenly had good intentions."

"Actually, I think it does," Mikey said, the sternness in his voice actually made Leo pause. Mikey wasn't often so insistent on something unless he was passionate about it. "Donnie also told me _why_ they stole the Heart of Miwa, so that they could give the power to mortals and people like us. The yokai and mutants though, they might have used that power in ways that would hurt humanity."

Leo frowned slightly in confusion. "Why would they care about humanity?" Leo knew that Raph and Donnie were demigods, which meant they were part of both worlds, that of the gods and that of the mortals. And it sounded like they were also connected to the world of the mutants. If they were a part of everything, why would they choose humanity over the others?

"I don't know," Mikey admitted. "We can always ask them though. They seem pretty eager to explain things. Our legends portray them as villains, and they don't really want to be seen that way for all time."

Leo wasn't all that eager to give these guys the benefit of the doubt. He didn't want to give them the chance to make excuses, but he really did want to get some answers.

"Look, I don't see them as 'villains'," Leo said, and he meant it. They made some mistakes that he wasn't very happy with, but Mikey was right, they shouldn't be defined by that. "But we need them to help us, and they don't seem to want anything to do with the Heart of Miwa."

"I think they'll be more willing than you think," Mikey grinned as he lead the way deeper into the cave where there were a couple of makeshift beds and boxes. This must be where Donnie and Raph essentially lived. "Donnie seemed to at least be thinking about it,"

"And if we get Donnie on board, then he can help us to convince Raph," Leo grinned. This just might work afterall.

Mikey looked on the beds and in the boxes. He was shuffling through everything, getting more desperate and frantic as he went. After a moment Mikey turned back towards Leo, a confused expression on his face. "Uh, I don't see any hatchet in here. You think Raph misplaced it?"

Leo narrowed his eyes. "I think Raph lead us here on purpose." He grabbed his brother's hand and pulled him back to the entrance of the cave. "We're getting out of here, now!"

"What's the rush?" Mikey stumbled slightly as Leo practically pulled him along. "What do you think is going to happen? Raph wouldn't trap us or anything like that." Just as Mikey said this, they heard a rumbling sound ahead of them. It sounded like something was falling. Leo scowled and sped up. They were so close to getting out of there, they just needed another second.

"Watch out!" Mikey pulled back so harshly that they both fell to the ground. Just moments after they fell, before either of them had the chance to get up, rocks began to fall and cover the entrance to the cave.

"No!" Leo moved to get up, but Mikey held him down until the falling rocks settled. Only then did Mikey's grip loosen, and Leo immediately got up and ran to the now blocked entrance. There were a couple of larger rocks and boulders near the bottom. Above that it was mostly just dirt and smaller rocks. It wouldn't be that hard to move out of the way, it would probably just take a few minutes to move things aside enough for them to get out of there, but Leo was worried that those few minutes was too long. "Raph! What did you do?!"

"Raph?" Mikey joined him at the cave in. "He...he wouldn't…" A flicker of doubt flashed in Mikey's eyes. "Raph, you out there?"

They heard shuffling just outside the cave. "I'm not staying on this island for another second. I'm not going to have anything to do with that stupid Heart," Raph growled. It sounded like he punched the rocks. "And I'm _not_ going to let you try to turn my brother against me."

"We don't want to turn anybody against anybody," Mikey said desperately. "Can't we all just talk about this?"

"Let us out of here, Raph!" Leo shouted as he quickly tried to get the dirt and rocks out of the way. He was not in the mood to sit down and talk about anything. Raph was trying to abandon them on the island. "You can't complain about being stuck on this island and then turn around and try to abandon us here."

Raph was quiet for a moment. "...The ocean likes you guys, it'll help you get away from this Hell."

Mikey's expression fell. He seemed sincerely upset, though Leo had the feeling that his brother wasn't upset with Raph, but upset for him, which was incredibly frustrating. Raph was trying to trap them here, Mikey shouldn't be feeling sympathy for him.

"Look, I'm not going to pretend to understand how it feels to be the demigod of the ocean and seeing the ocean favoring two random strangers," Mikey said in a quiet, sympathetic tone.

There was another sound of Raph punching the rocks, much harsher this time. Some dirt and smaller rocks fell. "Don't talk like you know anything about me," Raph growled harshly, his tone putting Leo on edge. He didn't like hearing anybody talking to his brother in that way.

"But we can help you," Mikey continued. "All of us can help each other."

"Your brother doesn't trust me," Raph said, and he had a point there. Leo didn't trust him. "And I don't trust anybody except Donnie." There was quiet for a moment. "You guys will be fine," Raph's tone was almost gentle now, like he felt like his hand was being forced here, that he didn't want to leave them here, but he didn't feel like he had any other choice. "I have to look out for myself and my brother, and I'm sorry, but the number one worst way to do that is by letting us get dragged into a suicidal, thankless mission." For a demigod, Leo didn't think he had ever heard anybody sound quite so _human_.

Leo almost felt understanding and even empathy for Raph. After all, Leo would also do anything for his brother. But when Leo heard the faint sound of footsteps walking away from them he remembered just why he had been so mad at Raph in the first place. Yes, Raph felt conflicted, and he just wanted to look out for his brother, but that didn't excuse the fact that he had trapped them in a cave and was trying to abandon them on this island.

"Come _on!"_ Leo shouted in frustration and began to work more frantically to move the stones. Mikey soon joined him. They had to get out of this cave before Raph and Donnie sailed off without them. Leo liked to think that Donnie wasn't going to be okay with just leaving them here, but he didn't really know, and he wasn't about to take any chances.

Leo understood that Raph and Donnie were afraid, but he was feeling pretty scared too. Leo was afraid that he and Mikey would fail without Raph and Donnie's help, and if they failed, he was afraid that the world would end. As much as he didn't want to rely on these guys, Leo didn't have much of a choice. They needed the help of these demigods, whether they wanted to provide that help or not.

As impossible and daunting as it seemed, they would get off this island and return the Heart of Miwa...all four of them. First though, they had to get out of this cave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story just keeps on surprising me. First it takes me six chapters to introduce two of our main characters, and now I have more than 10,000 words that take place on a little island...A location that, in the movie Moana, they're at for about five minutes. Makes me wonder just how long this story is going to end up being.


	10. Chapter 10

Raph ran down to the beach, pushing back the feeling to turn around and let the crazy mortals out of the cave. He knew it wasn't very nice to trap them like that, especially not when he was now planning on just leaving them on the island. He knew what it felt like to be trapped for faults that didn't deserve such an extreme level of punishment. He didn't want to end up exactly like the gods that he was beginning to despise, but he had to look out for his brother.

He and Donnie had dedicated their lives to serving the mortals, and it was because of them that they'd stolen the Heart of Miwa and ended up in this whole mess in the first place. Maybe he was being selfish here, but after everything they'd been through and everything they'd done, Raph thought that he and Donnie deserved to be a little selfish.

As Raph got to the beach he saw that Donnie was approaching the small boat, pulling a tree behind him. It seemed he hadn't needed help to get that wood afterall, which was great news. Now they could just get to fixing the ship and getting out of here before Leo and Mikey got out.

"Hey, Donnie, how long do you think this should take?" Raph asked as he ran up to his brother and grabbed the tree, pulling it the rest of the way.

"Well, assuming we both still know how to do this, it should only take a few minutes," Donnie said, and he sounded somewhat proud. Donnie liked knowing that he knew something, no matter how inconsequential and seemingly meaningless that information was. Knowledge was important to Donnie, but he also really loved being able to use that knowledge and show it off, even if the only person he was showing off to was Raph, who already thought that his brother was the smartest genius in the world.

"Let's get started," Raph grabbed his hatchet, which he'd actually had on him the whole time. He was surprised Leo and Mikey hadn't noticed. They were really oblivious about all of this. It was a wonder that they thought they could do any of this 'world saving' stuff that they were obsessed with.

Donnie could tell just by looking at the boat exactly what cuts of wood they needed to fix it. He told Raph exactly how to cut the tree to get the pieces that could join seamlessly with the rest of the boat. As Raph prepared the wood, Donnie pulled the pieces that needed to be replaced off the boat. It wasn't long before they were ready to replace the wood.

Donnie took care of the boat while Raph made sure that everything else was taken care of. The very second that Donnie gave the okay, they were getting out of here, without the others. Yes, it wasn't fair, but why should they be expected to play by the rules when life had dealt them an unfair hand in the first place?

Raph waited impatiently as Donnie worked his magic. Donnie didn't waste any time. It felt like a long time to Raph, but it was barely a minute before Donnie stepped back. "That should do it."

"Finally," Raph pulled his brother onto the raft and then gave the boat a strong push into the ocean. "Let's get off this place." Raph was relieved that the wind caught the sail straight away and the tide seemed to be in their favor. For once it seemed like things were looking up. They were finally getting out of here.

"What…" Donnie sat up and looked around. "What are you doing? We can't leave the others."

"We actually can, and we definitely are," Raph said. Donnie's eyes widened.

"You...Raph!" Donnie stood up, rocking the raft slightly. He tried to take the sail's rope from Raph, but he had expected this resistance. Raph used one hand to hold his brother back while he handled the rope with the other. "What are you thinking?!"

"I'm thinking that Mikey and Leo want to force us to help them on their ridiculous hero's quest, and I don't want any part of it," Raph said stiffly. He'd expected this anger from his brother, but Donnie would get over it. If they tried to fix their mistake and something happened to Donnie, that was something that Raph would never get over. Donnie may hate him for it, but Raph had to do what he thought was best for both of them, and this was it.

"Raph, we are _not_ leaving them behind like this." Donnie said sternly, using that old 'I'm the smart one and I know better than you' tone. "Turn this boat around _now!"_

"Make me," Raph countered pettily. Donnie scowled and glared at him. He wasn't just mad, he was furious. Donnie clenched his staff tightly before he raised it in the air. Raph's eyes widened as he realized what Donnie was doing a moment before it happened. Raph had no time to brace himself before a strong gust of wind came in from in front of them, countering the natural breeze and stopping the boat where it was.

Raph and Donnie were both frozen where they stood, staring at each other in horror as they tried to process what had just happened. Ever since they'd been banished to the island, Donnie hadn't done a lot to manipulate the wind. He'd used hundreds of different excuses about it, but they both knew that he had done it for Raph's sake. Donnie didn't feel right in using his powers when Raph was unable to. Donnie only ever used his powers when he had a good reason for it.

This was the first time that Donnie had ever, _ever_ used his powers against Raph. Even when their relationship was at its worst, they didn't turn against each other. A long time ago a mutant had tried incredibly hard to come between them, and yet it was two teenage mortals who seemed to be pulling it off.

Donnie flinched first. He still looked horrified, but while there was an apologetic look in his eyes, there was no regret. They both knew exactly what Donnie had done, he'd chosen two strangers over his brother, and he seemed willing to do it again if he had to. "Raph-"

"Is this really all that important to you?" Raph asked, his tone quieter than it normally would be. He wouldn't even look at his brother. "Are _they_ really that important?"

Donnie sighed. Raph felt a gentle breeze go through his hair. It was normally the kind of thing that he found comforting, but this time it felt more condescending than anything. "I'm tired of it being just the two of us against the world. I don't want to be hated by everyone we come across, and I don't want to have to watch our backs all the time."

"It's not our fault that the world is against us." Raph said, repeating a sentiment that he'd been saying for the past five hundred years, and in the past Donnie had agreed with him, or at least hadn't argued with him.

Donnie hummed slightly. "Well, taking the Heart of Miwa pretty much doomed the whole world. It makes sense that it wouldn't like us very much."

Raph's eyes widened and he looked at his brother in shock. "You saying we _deserve_ all this?"

Donnie scowled. "Don't put words in my mouth," Donnie's gaze softened. "Look, it doesn't matter what we deserve or who screwed who over. We can't just look after ourselves and nobody else for the rest of our lives. Not only is it ridiculously lonely, but it's also ridiculously hard. We need more help, but if we expect others to help us, we need to be willing to help them in return."

"But why do we have to help them with _this_?" Raph asked. "Give me any other good deed to do, and I'll do it without complaint, but... _this?"_

"Look, I don't really want to deal with the Heart of Miwa either." Donnie said. "That much is up for debate. Helping the others, that's not." Leo and Mikey seemed just as passionate about using the Heart of Miwa as Raph was to avoid it. They weren't going to take no for an answer. How could Donnie not see that bringing those brothers with them was basically the same as saying 'sure, we'll help you'.

" _Raph!_ " The two of them turned and their eyes widened in alarm when they saw Leo and Mikey riding right across the water. It was similar to what Raph used to love to do with the ocean, using it as a mode of transportation. Seeing it, Raph felt conflicted between screaming and yelling in fury, or curling up and shutting out the world for the rest of his life.

In the short time since meeting Leo and Mikey, Raph had known that they were the ocean's new favorites, but this was the moment that it felt real. It was one thing to see the ocean interacting with the mortals and being friendly with them, but to see the ocean actually allowing itself to be used like this, to be sharing Raph's powers with a couple of humans, it hurt. It actually physically hurt.

Raph didn't know how to respond to what he was seeing, so he didn't respond at all. He just stood there numbly and watched as the ocean practically tossed Leo and Mikey onto the boat. The first thing that Mikey did was crawl over to the storage area of the ship, which he promptly opened. Mikey reached in and pulled out, to Raph's shock, his cat. They had to find a new place to put that thing, because Raph had no idea that Mayunk was in there.

Leo had his attention focused completely on Raph, and he wasn't happy. "What was that all about?! What is wrong with you?" Leo snatched the rope from Raph's grip. "Were you seriously going to leave us there?"

"I wouldn't have had to if you weren't trying so hard to get me and my brother killed." Raph growled.

"We don't want to get anyone killed," Mikey said. His gentle tone both calmed Raph, and made him feel infuriated as well. "That's why we're here. Our island and the people in our village are in real trouble. People can get really hurt if we don't do something." Raph felt bad for them, but...but why should this be their responsibility? Why couldn't someone else put their necks on the line and be selfless?

"We can make a new name for ourselves," Donnie reminded him. "This is a chance to get a clean slate."

"Or a chance to fail and end up dying in the process." Raph said.

"I thought you guys were some all-powerful demigods?" Leo crossed his arms.

"Yeah, but here's a newsflash for you; Karai is a god," Raph glared at Leo. "That's kinda a step up from demigod. As for all-powerful," Raph looked at Donnie, who was holding his staff stiffly and watching him cautiously. "Right now, Donnie's the only one with powers. I'm basically useless without my sais and the ocean."

"Wha-now, hang on!" Donnie stepped towards Raph. "You're _not_ useless." Maybe not, but if Raph didn't have his powers, he was little more than a mortal who'd been alive for a long time. He wasn't useless _in general_ , but up against a goddess, they didn't stand a chance.

"What if you had your sais again?" Mikey suggested. "You lost them in the sea, right? Maybe the ocean will bring them back to you?"

"The ocean isn't about to do me any favors," Raph grumbled. He knew that much for sure.

"It might if it means the world will be right again," Leo said. "It's worth a try, isn't it?" After five hundred years of little to no response from the ocean, Raph didn't think that it was worth a try at all, but if it would get these guys to shut up and leave him alone, he'd humor them.

Besides, if there was even the smallest chance that he could get his weapons back, he was going to go for it.

Raph frowned and knelt at the edge of the boat. He saw Donnie offer his staff out to him, and Raph knew if he was smart he would take it. The staff and the sais were connected, and it was also a symbol of their status as demigods. The ocean might be more receptive if he communicated to it through the staff. Raph knew all this, but he still pointedly ignored the offer. If he was going to be getting his weapons back, he was going to be doing it on his own.

Besides, Donnie had just used that staff against Raph. He wasn't ready to so easily get over that.

Raph took a deep breath and put his hand in the water. The instant that his fingers touched the surface a kind of glow rippled through the water. It was a sign, Raph just didn't know if it was a good one or a bad one yet.

"I know what you want from me," Raph said. "You have a funny way of asking for help, and I can't guarentee that I'm entirely on board with this stupid plan, but…" Raph closed his eyes and pushed everything that he was feeling, the anger, the hurt, the betrayal, the fear, into his words. "If you want me to do _anything_ , I'm going to need my sais back. This isn't just me being selfish here, you _know_ it's true, so please. If you talk to me and return my sais, I'll...I'll think about it," That was all Raph could promise. It was more than he thought the ocean deserved.

Raph waited tensely for a few long minutes. He was worried that he wouldn't get an answer, but he wasn't going to let that fear get the better of him already. If the ocean was testing how much he wanted this, he wasn't going to fail.

He heard some shuffling behind him, maybe it was Leo, maybe it was Mikey. He ignored them though. Raph's attention was just on the ocean, waiting for an answer.

Just when Raph was reaching the limit of his patience, he felt something. The cool ocean water felt warm around his hand. The ocean didn't say anything, as even when their relationship had been at its best the ocean had never actually spoken to him. Raph had the feeling that the ocean was actually perfectly capable of speaking, it just didn't like to. The ocean had other ways of communicating, it was just a matter of knowing how to understand it.

Though Raph's eyes were closed, he could see what the ocean was trying to show him. Not like someone could see with their eyes. It was really hard to explain, but what was important was that Raph was able to get a sense of what the ocean was showing him. It was like he was having a vision of what the ocean had seen. Raph could tell that it wasn't happening in present-time, but was something that had happened in the past. How long ago, he didn't know, but he didn't think it mattered.

There were his sais at the bottom of the seafloor, the tips embedded in the sand. It was like they had been thrown away and forgotten. It made Raph sad and angry to see it. His sais meant the world to him, and it hurt to see them treated so disrespectfully. Raph felt horrible seeing this whole thing, but then it got even worse.

There hadn't been a sign of life near the sais, like the ocean was protecting them, but then someone showed up. A large figure, moving awkwardly through the water as though it wasn't made for swimming. The figure made its way straight to the sais, like it knew exactly where they were. The very moment it touched the sais, the vision cleared enough for Raph to get a good look at the figure, and he felt his insides tighten because he knew that guy. He knew him all too well.

Raph gasped and his eyes flew open. He snatched his hand out of the water like he'd been burned. Raph stared out at the ocean, too hurt to even consider being mad. The ocean had ignored him for five hundred years. It had replaced him with two mortals, and it had been treating him pettily all day, and yet _this..._ this was the biggest betrayal.

"You...how could you?" Raph's voice cracked slightly. It felt like he'd been punched in the gut. "You gave them to _him?"_ Raph knew the ocean really well. It may not have handed the sais to the thief, but Raph knew that it had guided him to them.

"Him who?" Mikey asked. "What did the ocean say?"

"Where are your sais?" Leo asked. His voice sounded strange, like he was trying to sound sympathetic, but he just wanted to know what the problem was so they could solve it and move on.

Raph felt Donnie come up behind him. "Raph, what did the ocean do?" Donnie had seen Raph's reaction to the ocean all this time. Donnie knew that for Raph to get like this, it wasn't for no reason.

"It gave them away," Raph said, still feeling numb and in shock about this whole thing. He knew sooner or later his anger would catch up to him, but right now fury was about the furthest thing from what he was feeling. " _He_ has them."

"He who?" Leo asked in frustration. Raph just turned and looked at his brother. Donnie held his gaze for a moment. Raph didn't say a word, but Donnie seemed to get the message just fine. His eyes widened in horror.

"He...are you sure?" Donnie asked, his tone almost begging. Donnie seemed to want anything to be true except what he seemed to suspect.

"I saw him," Raph insisted. "He has my sais."

Donnie's expression darkened dangerously. It was a look that Raph didn't see on his brother very often. "Why does he need your sais? He doesn't even use weapons! He'd rather run around and fight like a brute."

"I think he wants them because they're mine," Raph said. "He knows that I'll come after them."

"What? No! Absolutely not!" Donnie said coldly. "We're not walking right into his lair!"

Raph rolled his eyes. "He doesn't have a _lair_. He's not some evil mastermind."

"He tried to kill me," Donnie said, and he definitely wasn't amused. "And then he tried to kill you when you tried to stop him."

"It's been five hundred years, maybe he's calmed down after all this time," Raph said, though he didn't even believe it himself. He was mostly looking for his brother to give him reassurances. Unfortunately, Donnie didn't get the hint.

"Are you kidding me? If he has your sais he's just as obsessed with you as he ever was." Donnie muttered angrily. He glared out towards the ocean like it had personally offended him. Donne held his staff in a way that showed that he was ready for a fight and the wind picked up around them, reflecting Donnie's anger. "What is wrong with you?! Do you seriously hate my brother that much?" Raph flinched. It was something that he'd thought for a long time, but hearing it being said by his brother, it made it much more real.

"Guys!" Raph and Donnie turned towards Leo, who was glaring at them. They'd nearly forgotten the others were there. "What are you talking about? Who has the sais?"

Donnie scowled and crossed his arms. It seemed like he was leaving the explanations to Raph. "An old friend of mine-" Raph begin, and Donnie immediately scoffed.

"He was never your friend," Donnie said bitterly. "He's a jealous monster who doesn't know how to take 'no' for an answer."

Raph gave his brother an annoyed look. "Did you want to tell them?" Donnie shrugged and went back to glaring at the ocean. Raph continued on. "He's not a monster, he's a mutant. His name is Slash."

"Do you know where he is?" Mikey asked. "Maybe if we asked he'd be willing to give them back," Donnie and Raph exchanged a disbelieving look. "Or, you know, not," Mikey amended.

Raph sighed. "Yeah, I know where he is." Nearly all mutants lived in the same place. They may come out into the mortal world for a little bit, but they never stayed for long. They liked their own home, and Slash was no exception.

"So let's get going," Leo said. "We don't have time to wait."

"Now, hang on," Donnie looked alarmed. "You guys don't know Slash. Messing with him is a mistake. He's dangerous. We can't go."

"We have to," Raph said. "I need my weapons. _That_ isn't up for debate."

"Raph, you don't need them," Donnie pleaded. "I can give you my staff. I can show you how to use it. You don't need your sais, and you don't need the ocean," It was an idea that Donnie had mentioned before, but this was the first time that Raph could feel the sincerity. Donnie really meant it. He would give Raph his staff and his powers. Raph appreciated the thought, but Donnie didn't get it. They may share weapons, but their separate weapons were still theirs individually.

"You don't have to face him," Raph promised. In fact, it was what he preferred. "I'll deal with Slash myself."

"Not on your life," Donnie said stubbornly. "You're not meeting with Slash...at least, not on your own." Raph knew how much Donnie hated Slash. For his brother to be willing to stand by his side at such a challenging situation, it meant a lot. It meant everything, but it wasn't what Raph wanted. Slash was volatile at the best of times, but when Donnie was so much as mentioned he got even angrier. Donnie had only met Slash the one time, and Raph didn't want a repeat of what had happened. He'd rather deal with Slash on his own.

Arguing with Donnie about this though would do little good. They could fight and argue all they wanted, and just never get anywhere. Raph planned on keeping quiet for now, letting Donnie think he'd won the disagreement, and then just go behind his brother's back when it really came to it.

"So, where are we going?" Mikey asked.

"Home of mutants and yokai," Raph took the sail rope back from Leo. "The Hidden City."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I considered having our teenagers face off against Baxter Stockman and his army of mousers, the way that Moana and Maui have to fight off the kakamora coconut creatures. However, it just seemed like it would come out of nowhere and serve little purpose. In the movie the only purpose for that scene I can think of is to show that lots of creatures are obsessed with getting the Heart of Te Fiti, and I can show that in the Hidden City.
> 
> Speaking of the Hidden City, this is another instance where Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles elements are coming in. I thought about using Dimension X, but...I just didn't like it. Dimension X was just kinda a boring location for me, which is why I chose to go for the Hidden City. I don't even know which mutants and yokai will show up there, so those chapters should be fun to write.


	11. Chapter 11

Mikey wasn't a big fan of conflict, especially among friends or allies. They were all living creatures, they all had feelings, what was the point of fighting? It just made everything harder, and often it didn't do anything except cause tension between people who should be getting along.

Mikey had fun messing around with people, but he did his best to not take things too far and truly hurt someone's feelings. He wasn't perfect at it, but as much as Mikey caused frustration, he had figured out how to recognize when he'd gone too far, and he had learned how to make it right again.

Sailing on a small boat with his brother and two demigods who had put the world at risk, there was definitely tension, and Mikey didn't like it at all. Especially since he didn't know the cause behind a lot of it. Sure, Mikey knew that Leo was furious with Raph for trying to trap them on the island, and Mikey was disappointed as well, but this didn't explain the quiet tension between Raph and Donnie.

After they'd started sailing off to the Hidden City, the demigods hadn't said a word to each other. Raph and Donnie had barely looked at each other. Mikey didn't know what was going on between them, but he didn't like it. They were brothers, and from what he had heard from the two of them, there was nothing that they cared about more than each other. So why were they fighting? What had Mikey and Leo missed while they'd been trying to get out of the cave?

Mikey couldn't really solve their problems for them when he didn't know just what their problems were, but he wasn't going to let that stop him from trying to make them feel better.

"How does it feel to be part of the rest of the world again?" Mikey sat down on the boat next to Raph, who was lying on the deck, dangling his hands over the edge of the boat into the water. According to Donnie, the Hidden City lived up to its name. To get to the realm of the Yokai and mutants, you had to be led there by someone who had a connection, and for them that was the ocean. It was opening the way for them, and communicating through Raph how to get there.

"Just because we're off that island doesn't mean that we're part of anything," Raph said moodily. He didn't sound all that angry, or that he might hit the first person who said something even remotely upsetting to him. He just sounded tired of dealing with everything. "You can't see any islands from out here. We're completely surrounded by the ocean,"

Mikey grimaced sympathetically and soaked his feet in the ocean. "You're still not very happy with the ocean?" It was a needless question, Mikey knew the answer. He may like the ocean, but it was nice to him and his brother. Mikey imagined if the ocean suddenly began to ignore him or Leo, or attacked one of them for little reason, and especially if it took something important to them and gave it to someone that they didn't get along with, he'd be pretty bitter too.

"I'm tired of not knowing what to expect from it," Raph said. "It was annoying when we got along with each other, but now, it's exhausting. I don't know what the ocean wants from me, and I'm sick of being the only one to give anything in our relationship."

"From what I've heard, it seemed like you were the one who was the taker in your relationship." Leo said. Mikey frowned and looked back at his brother. They were trying to get Raph and Donnie to be willing to cooperate with them. That wasn't going to happen if Leo kept on antagonizing Raph like this.

Mikey understood it, really he did, as so far Raph wasn't the easiest person to get along with, and he was so unapologetic about it. But that didn't make him a bad person. Leo really should know that as well.

Mikey expected Raph to argue against Leo's accusation, but Donnie was the one to speak up instead. "You're only familiar with a single thing we've done. Do you really think that you know enough to make any claims about us?"

Raph sighed and moved his hands through the water. "You guys are the ocean's new favorites, you should know just how unpredictable the fluctuating the sea is."

"I don't think we're the ocean's favorite," Mikey said, but Leo spoke right over him.

"The ocean hasn't given us any trouble." Leo said. Although, that didn't sound quite right to Mikey.

"It dragged us into the storm," Mikey reminded. "We got separated from each other." He didn't hold any resentment towards the ocean because of it, because Mikey knew that the island that Raph and Donnie had been on was probably like the Hidden City, meaning they had only ended up there because the ocean had decided to lead them. The ocean was working for the greater good, but it was clear to Mikey that it was working in mysterious ways that they didn't entirely understand.

Raph frowned and sat up slightly until he was resting on his elbows, though his hands were still in the water. He gave Mikey an odd look. "How long has the ocean been with you? It clearly likes and trusts you guys, and yet the only time it's acted questionably towards you was when it was bringing you to us?"

"We've known the ocean since we were five," Mikey said.

"But we thought that we imagined the whole thing," Leo reminded him. "It was just a one time thing when we were kids. It only talked to us again when we decided to come out to fine you guys."

"What?!" Donnie jerked slightly. He was manning the sail, so he wasn't holding his staff, and yet Mikey could swear that he felt the breeze change suddenly with Donnie's exclamation. "The ocean likes you this much when in total it's only known you for a few days?"

"It took years for the sea to really warm up to me," Raph said somewhat bitterly.

"Well, maybe the ocean thought we were worthy?" Leo said carefully. "Not that you're not worthy, but when the ocean first talked to us as kids, it was only after we saved a baby seat turtle, even though we knew we might get in trouble for it."

"Oh yeah," Mikey remembered that day well. "For the longest time after that, we thought it had been a sign because of our destiny tattoos."

The whole boat jerked because of the wind, and Raph sat up completely, scowling darkly at Mikey. "I'm sorry, it's a sign of your what?" Raph said it like a threat. He'd heard what Mikey had said, but he clearly wasn't happy about it, and if the wind was anything to go off of, neither was Donnie.

"Destiny tattoos," Leo said. "It's just a silly nickname we have for our birthmark animals." Leo held out his arm to show the red-eared slider turtle design. Mikey nodded and showed Raph his own box turtle mark. Mikey quite liked his birthmark, and he'd always felt like it meant something.

Raph practically growled at Mikey. "You think the mark on your skin means anything?"

"It's a nice sentiment," Donnie said stiffly. "But you guys have no idea how many people there are out there who don't have that connection to their marks?"

"Or people who don't have a mark in the first place," Leo said gently. Raph froze. Donnie stiffened and put a hand on his covered up arm. It was the kind of reaction that Mikey had seen all the time from Casey when he was feeling especially self conscious about his lack of an animal mark.

Mikey looked at Leo, and he could tell that his brother was thinking something similar to him. The demigod brothers might be exactly like Casey. Maybe part of the reason why they were so upset with humanity and trying so hard to impress them was because they weren't as lucky as Casey was with a support system. Mikey had little trouble imagining people not being so accepting of people who didn't have marks. Some people put quite a lot of importance on these birthmarks.

Mikey just didn't know for sure, but he didn't want to ask. It was an extremely personal question, and these guys didn't trust them nearly enough to talk about it. And Mikey didn't want to make any assumptions. He thought he should back off for now, forget about the marks completely. If Raph and Donnie wanted to talk about them, they would open up in their own time.

"So, uh, I guess we kinda passed the ocean's test," Mikey said, trying to change the subject. Raph scoffed and laid back down on the deck. He reluctantly put his hands back in the water.

"Testing five year olds...why am I not surprised?" Raph scowled at the ocean. "Just don't get too attached to the sea. You never know when it'll turn on you or find something new to focus on."

Leo blinked. He looked conflicted. Leo, like Mikey, had really liked the ocean, but Raph brought up a good point, and it put a whole new spin on their limited experiences with the ocean. "We'll be careful," Leo said. Mikey knew his brother well, he knew that Leo wasn't just saying it to be reassuring, he truly meant it. Leo wasn't immediately going to distrust the ocean, but he was going to be more cautious around it.

"How far away is the Hidden City?" Mikey asked.

"It's not a matter of distance," Donnie said matter-of-factly. His tone somewhat reminded Mikey of Splinter's tone when he was teaching Leo about the traditions of their ancestors, or showing Mikey all the wonders of the plants on their island. It was a bit of a 'teacher' tone. "The Hidden City isn't in a given location. It's another world, and the entrance changes constantly."

"That's why the ocean has to take us," Raph said moodily. "It changes just as much as the entrance does." Raph said this like it was a bad thing, but Mikey wasn't so sure. Change can be scary, but it wasn't inherently bad. It made life more exciting.

"We could get there in a few days," Donnie said. "Or it could be any second now. It's all in the hands of the gods now."

"Because there's nothing better than trusting the gods," Raph said sarcastically. He clearly wasn't happy. "They're just as bad as the ocean is." And Raph had made his opinion on the ocean very clear.

"I thought you guys were demigods," Leo leaned against the mast, ignoring Donnie's annoyed glance. "Doesn't that make you part god?"

"In a way," Donnie admitted. "But the gods, they're...complicated."

"They always send others to do their dirty work," Raph muttered. "A lot of them only directly involve themselves with humanity when they've been insulted and feel the need to punish them." The boat was hit by a small wave that splashed Raph, and only Raph. He glared out at the ocean. "Hey, you know I'm right. If the gods were actually punishing us for dooming humanity, they would have done something to help them sooner instead of waiting for five hundred years. No, the gods were just mad that we stole from one of their own."

Mikey frowned slightly. "If you know how the gods are, why would you steal from one of them?" It just seemed like asking for trouble, like provoking somebody who you knew would react badly.

"Just because they're gods doesn't mean that deserve all the power in the world," Donnie said. "Miwa is especially powerful, but she was also fairly kind hearted. She didn't misuse her power, but many other gods who wanted her power couldn't exactly be trusted with it."

"And you thought that mortals would be better?" Mikey raised an eyebrow. Sure, he loved humanity and there were some pretty amazing people, but there were some pretty bad people too.

"Not really," Raph said. "But no matter how long you guys had Miwa's power, you wouldn't be able to get a hold of all of it. And I'm a lot less afraid of mortals than I am of gods." Mikey didn't know whether to be insulted on behalf of all humanity, or honored, so he settled with the middle ground of nodding like he completely understood what Raph was saying.

Leo frowned and squinted out to the distance. "Uh, is it just me, or is the horizon a little blurred?" Mikey blinked and focused out on the horizon. Focusing on it, he could see that Leo was right, the line between the ocean and the sky was practically nonexistent. Mikey couldn't tell where one started and one ended.

Raph grinned and gave the ocean a small, appreciative smile. "And here I thought you would lead us on a wild goose chase for a few weeks." He stood up and looked towards Donnie. "You see the mist?"

Donnie trinned. He looked happy that his brother was talking directly to him. "Yeah, I see it." Donnie adjusted the sail, changing their course till they were headed towards the blurriest spot on the horizon.

"How can you tell that's where we're supposed to go?" Leo asked, a little doubt in his tone.

Raph gave Leo an annoyed look. "We've been there before. We know how to recognize the signs."

"Hey, you're the demigods here," Mikey was all too willing to take their word for this. Raph and Donnie knew more about the world of the mutants, yokai, and gods than they did. Mikey's words seemed to do a lot to please Raph, who didn't like to be questioned, and Donnie, who liked to be right.

Raph's pleased expression fell slightly as he looked out towards the sea again. "It's been so long since we've seen other beings."

Leo blinked in slight shock. "What about us?" He asked, gesturing to himself and Mikey.

Raph didn't look back towards Leo, but Mikey could see him smirking slightly to himself. "You freaks don't really count." Raph didn't sound like he was trying to be cruel, but just playfully teasing them. It was a nice change, and Mikey couldn't help but laugh as Leo let out an insulted sound. Raph chuckled along with Mikey.

"It will be nice to see the mutants and yokai again," Donnie commented. "But we should really be careful in the Hidden City. Remember the groups of yokai and mutants who hated humans?"

Raph looked back towards his brother and raised an eyebrow. "Honestly, I'm more worried about what they'll think of us. Some yokai and mutants might agree with the mortals and gods about our encounter with Miwa."

"Or they might still be after the Heart of Miwa," Mikey frowned slightly and clutched tightly at his necklace. He remembered Sensei and Donnie both mentioning that there were lots of mutants and yokai who had wanted the Heart of Miwa for themselves. Mikey tucked his necklace into his shirt. It would probably be good to not draw attention to themselves while they were in the Hidden City.

Leo did what he usually did to try to calm Mikey, he showed that he was confident and knew what he was doing. "We're just going in there, finding Slash and the sais, and leaving before we run into trouble." Leo sounded so sure that if they just didn't overcomplicate things, they would be just fine, and Mikey already found himself feeling calmer. It was hard for him to worry when he knew that his brother had his back. Leo would do whatever he could to make sure that not just Mikey was okay, but also Donnie and Raph. Leo may not like them very much, but he was a protector. It was in his nature.

"Leo's right," Donnie said, his tone somewhat strained. He seemed really nervous now that they were so close to the Hidden City and Slash. "Let's just get this over with."

Raph took a deep breath as he looked out to their destination. They were only a little closer now, but Mikey could see that the hazy horizon had been because of a mist or a fog that looked unnatural, not like anything that Mikey had ever seen before.

Even after meeting demigods, interacting with a living ocean, and learning that gods and mutants were real, this was the moment that Mikey actually realized that the world was a lot stranger and larger than he could ever imagine. This was the moment that made it all real, and Mikey realized just how excited he was for it.

Looking back towards Leo, his expression was guarded, but Mikey knew his brother. Leo wanted to see these mutants and yokai for himself, he was just trying to act all serious because somebody had to take charge, and it only made sense for it to be him. Donnie and Raph may be the ones who had experience with the residents of the Hidden City, but they both looked way too stressed to properly focus.

Donnie looked out towards the haze like he was expecting it to eat them alive, like he was questioning every life decision he had made that had brought him here. Raph's eyes were cold and guarded. He was trying to mentally prepare himself for whatever they would find. Neither of them looked ready to deal with anything, but that was okay. That was why Leo and Mikey were here. Leo could focus on their mission enough for all of them, and Mikey could watch all of their backs.

Things may still be really tense between them, and they weren't exactly best friends, but whether they liked it or not, they were a team, and Mikey would see to it that they actually started to act like it.

They gradually got closer and closer to the haze. Because the wind and water was on their side though, it was a lot quicker than Mikey thought was natural before they were sailing right into what looked like a wall of mist. Mikey tensed slightly, not knowing what to expect, and grabbed Mayunk as they entered into the mist. He felt shivers go down as spine as they entered. It felt like being hit with sea spray, except it seemed to go under his skin and soaked his very soul. Based on Leo's shudder and the way that Donnie grimaced and Raph rolled his shoulders as though trying to shake something off, Mikey wasn't just imagining it.

The more they sailed through the mist, the denser it got until it seemed more like a thick fog. It wasn't long before Mikey couldn't even see his own hands held out in front of his face. They were sailing completely blind here. They may have been relying on the ocean earlier, but at least before they'd had the illusion of being in control. Now, they were completely at the mercy of the sea, and Mikey didn't know how much he liked that.

After what could have been five minutes or a few hours they suddenly sailed out of the thick cloud. One second there was fog as far as the eye could see (which, to be fair, wasn't very far at all) and the next Mikey had to shield his eyes at the sudden increase in brightness. After taking a minute to allow his eyes to adjust, Mikey realized that 'bright' really wasn't the right word for their surroundings. Colorful, yes, but definitely not bright.

Everything was so dimly lit, but there were so many colors, and so easy to see everything. Mikey was also surprised to see just how little wildlife there was. As someone who had really come to love plants, he noticed every little leaf, tree, and bush, so it was always really clear when there was nothing around.

Everything that Mikey could see was lopsided stone buildings and structures, as well as a number of creatures that must be the yokai and mutants. Mikey tried to get a closer look at them, but Raph pulled him back.

"DOn't stare at these guys," Raph growled in a low tone. "They'll notice, and they'll stare right back at you. We're trying to not get noticed here, remember?"

"Right," Mikey lowered his gaze, turning his attention to the small canal that they were now sailing through. There were a couple of larger boats as well as a couple of mutants and yokai that were moving around the water. Donnie guided their sailboat into a dock that was on the side.

Raph immediately jumped off the boat and began to negotiate with the creature that was manning the dock. Dock moved to follow him, but Donnie put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Raph knows what he's doing," Donnie said. "Someone else coming in could mess up his whole process."

Leo frowned slightly. "Raph has a process to paying for things?"

Donnie grimaced slightly. "No, but he has a process to talking himself out of paying for something." Leo and Mikey both looked at Donnie in shock. He held his hands out defensively. "We don't have any money on us. What else are we supposed to do?"

"So, what, he's just going to con a mutant out of his pay?" Leo sounded disgusted, and Mikey was a little unnerved as well.

"No, he's probably just going to tell the mutant that we're here to see Slash." Donnie frowned as he got to work bringing the sail down. "Chances are, the mutant knows who we are, and they'll definitely know who Slash is. Nobody dares to mess with Slash."

Mikey grimaced. "Is Slash really that bad?"

Donnie scowled. "He's a little like Raph, if he'd never had me to calm him down." Leo's eyes widened. He actually looked concerned.

"Is there anything else we should know about Slash?" Leo asked.

"No, because you two aren't meeting up with him," Raph said, looking away from the mutant he was talking to. "Slash doesn't trust strangers, and he gets aggressive when he feels like he can't trust someone."

Donnie looked unimpressed. "Don't make excuses for him. He's just an aggressive guy."

"Sure, but why give him any reason to get worse?" Raph pointed out. He grabbed a rope next to the ship and pulled it closer to the dock where he tied it off. "This nice yokai here said that we could find Slash at his old roof hangouts."

Donnie nodded his appreciation. "We'd better get going." He tucked the sail into the storage area. Donnie looked to Mikey. "Keep a close eye on that cat of yours. You never know what mutants or yokai might want to eat a cat." Mikey's eyes widened in horror as he pulled Mayunk close. He was definitely not going to be letting Mayunk out of his sight.

The four of them got off the ship, but before they could get anywhere the mutant...no, Raph had called him a yokai...gave them a sharp look. "You should stay away from the main square. That Baron Draxum is having one of his rallies there today."

Donnie paled slightly and Raph's expression darkened. "We'll be careful," Raph gave Leo and Mikey a push to get them going before they could ask about what they were talking about. Leo's curiosity couldn't be dissuaded that easily.

"Who's Baron Draxum? And why do we need to beware of him?" Leo asked.

"Does he hate humans?" Mikey asked. He'd noticed that the yokai had been looking straight at him and Leo.

"Yes," Raph said at the same time as Donnie responded "No." The demigods looked at each other and seemed to silently argue through their glances before Raph sighed. "Alright, fine, he doesn't actually hate humans, he just kinda hates the way that mutants and yokai are treated by humans. He doesn't think that they should have to hide away in another world."

"That sounds fair," Mikey said. He probably wouldn't like it very much if he'd been all but banished to a single place just because some people were afraid of him.

"Yes, but what's not fair is that Draxum's solution is to turn all humans into mutants." Donnie's displeased frowned showed exactly what he thought of that idea, and yeah, Mikey wasn't too happy with it either.

Leo grimaced. "You think he'll try to turn us into mutants?"

"It wouldn't be the first time he's mutated someone," Raph said.

"Mikey frowned slightly as a thought came to him. "Are all mutants mutated humans? What's the difference between a mutant and a yokai?"

"Mutants are either mutated creatures, or descendents of someone who is mutated," Donnie said simply. "Yokai were created that way from the beginning. But other than that, there's no difference."

"Yokai are proud to be yokai, and mutants are proud to be mutants," Raph said. "But other than the occasional turf war, there's no issue between the two groups." That actually sounded somewhat nice to Mikey. He just wished that mortals could get along with these yokai and mutants as well.

Mikey tried to stay close to his brother and the demigods, but he got easily distracted by his surroundings. There were so many things around that he had never seen before, and he wanted to bring it all in. Everywhere he turned there was a new fun thing to see, a new mutant or yokai to try to think about. It was a lot of fun.

Mikey found himself lagging a little behind the others, but he didn't think it was that big a deal, but Mikey was so distracted that he accidentally walked right into a mutant or yokai that resembled a dog, causing him to almost trip. Mikey was able to keep himself from falling, but the creature he bumped into turned and growled at him, startling Mayunk, who began squirming.

"Watch where you're going," The stranger growled. Mikey wasn't intimidated, he would be grumpy too if someone walked right into him.

"I'm really sorry," Mikey said sincerely. "I wasn't watching where I was going, and I just...Mayunk, no!" Mikey's apology was cut short as his cat darted out of his arms and ran off. Mikey felt bad about leaving so abruptly, but he needed to get his cat.

Mayunk darted between mutans, and Mikey did his best to keep up with him, but it was a little hard. Mayunk had an easier time getting through crowds than Mikey did, but he was pretty nimble himself. "Mayunk, come back!" This wasn't the right kind of place to get lost. They knew nothing about the Hidden City. Mikey barely noticed that the buildings weren't as close together, but the crowds had gotten bigger.

Finally it wasn't just Mikey who was struggling to get through the crowds. Mayunk was forced to stop suddenly when a mutant stepped right in her path. Before Mayunk could find a new path Mikey dashed right up to her and grabbed her before she could run off again. "There you are. You can't run off like that, Mayunk, we have to stay with the others." Mikey straightened and looked around. The first thing he noticed was that he didn't see a familiar face anywhere. The second thing he noticed was that he was standing in what looked like a public square...like the one that they'd been warned to stay away from.

...oh, no.

"Mutant brothers, yokai sisters!" A loud voice cut through the crowd. Mikey froze and clutched Mayunk tightly as he looked towards the speaker. In the middle of the big crowd stood a tall goat like creature. Everybody was paying attention to him. "The mortals have been running the world above for far too long, while we've been forced to hide away." There were murmurs of agreement and frustration. Mikey stiffened and began to retreat back through the crowd. He needed to get back to the others.

As Mikey retreated, the crowd began to get antsy. Baron Draxum seemed somewhat professional and straightforward, but the mutants and yokai were getting riled up even after just a few words. Mikey didn't want to stick around to see just how bad things could build up to.

Mikey stepped back slowly so as to not draw attention attention to himself. He was almost in the clear and ready to run when he felt a hand grab his shoulder. Mikey flinched and let out a sound of alarm that was quickly smothered by the feel of a large, rough hand over his mouth. Before he could think of a way to get away or call for help Mikey was dragged into an alley, completely at the mercy of this mystery mutant or yokai.

Mikey didn't want to make any quick assumptions about mutants or yokai, because logically he knew that not all of them were bad, just like not all humans were bad, but it was hard to think the best about someone you couldn't see as they were pulling you into the shadows.

He wished his brother was here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a cameo from Baron Draxum, because I really like him as a character. He's just fun. He likely won't be in the story any more than this, but I thought it would be fun to have him trying to rally up the troops. And, you know, it's a good way to have a way to show that the Hidden City can be dangerous for mortals without having any mutants or yokai being shown as 'evil'.  
> Now, before writing the next episode I need to go back to the 2012 series and rewatch a few episodes. I can't exactly write about Slash if I don't remember just what he's like.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry about this taking so long. I was having a bit of a hard time figuring out what to do with this chapter, and I've been really busy lately. I'm happy with this chapter though.
> 
> A little bit of a trigger warning here. A huge part of this chapter is a manipulative, and pretty abusive relationship. If you've been in a relationship like this (romantic, platonic, familial, work related, whatever), if reading this kind of thing bothers you, feel free to not read it. Your safety is more important than this chapter.

Leo tried to keep his head down and mind his own business. It wouldn't do any of them any good for him to go about drawing attention to them. They had a job to do here. They were so close to being able to return the Heart of Miwa back to her and saving the world, he didn't want to ruin that with his impatience. All he had to do was take a deep breath, keep his mouth shut, and do what he could to help Raph get those sais of his. Leo didn't really want to cave in to the whims of someone who was just throwing a tantrum to get what he wanted, he didn't want to reward that behavior, but they didn't really have much of a choice right now.

The demigod brothers were a pair. If Leo thought he could get away with it, he might just try to focus on getting Donnie's help. Donnie was smart and seemed to have a good head on his shoulders. Leo didn't think it would be too hard to convince him to help them, if it weren't for the fact that Donnie was loyal to his brother. If Raph wasn't on board with their plan, then neither was Donnie. Raph had made it clear that the only way he would even consider helping them was if he got his sais back first. If that was the only way to make it happen, then Leo was all for it, and he would do whatever it took to make it happen.

Leo stayed close to Raph as they traveled. The angry demigod was storming down the streets, glaring at everything that they passed as though expecting trouble at any given second. Donnie seemed too caught up in his own mind to properly hold his brother back if they ran into any trouble, so that's what Leo was planning on doing.

Leo completely ignored their surroundings and the mutants and yokai around them. He focused completely on Raph. Leo had learned from Master Splinter how to focus so fully on something, how to notice every little detail about it. Because of this, Leo noticed the way that Raph would tense every few minutes or so as he glared up at the roofs at something. Whenever Leo tried to follow his gaze, the most he ever saw was a shadow that could have been a figure, but just as easily could have been a chimney or pillar, or something else along those lines. The shadow would disappear before Leo could get a good look at it, and Raph would move on like there had never been anything there in the first place.

After some wandering around, Leo began to wonder just how well Raph actually knew where they were going. He tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, but Leo could only be so patient. "How long until we get there?"

"Soon enough," Raph growled. He turned to glare back at Leo, but his gaze then moved past him towards Donnie. Leo frowned slightly. There was a strange look in Raph's eyes, somewhat like regret, but also intense impatience. That look only lasted for a moment before Raph paused in his path completely, a clear look of confusion on his face. "Where's your brother?"

Leo froze. "What?!" He snapped around and felt a pit form in his stomach when he saw that Mikey wasn't there. Leo looked around desperately, but there was no sign of Mikey. "Where…?"

"Is it normal for Mikey to wander off?" Donnie asked. He was the only one of the three of them who remained relatively calm.

"I...yes," Leo said quietly, feeling slightly ill. He liked to think that his brother would know better than to wander off, but Mikey didn't always think things through when he got excited or distracted. It was actually incredibly likely that Mikey saw something interesting and got lost. "We have to find him."

Raph scowled. "We don't have time to turn around and look for him. We've got to get to Slash. He probably knows we're here, and he's just going to get angry if we keep him waiting,"

Leo glared at Raph. "I'm not just going to leave my brother."

Raph looked insulted at the idea, even though he'd been the one who had practically suggested it. "Look, why don't you two go find him, and I'll go after Slash."

"No," Donnnie said sharply. "Absolutely not. I told you, we're either facing Slash together, or not at all."

Raph's expression softened slightly. "We can't ask Leo to wander around the Hidden City aimlessly. We'll just end up with two lost mortals on our hands."

Donnie was quiet for a moment. He looked pained. After a long, tense moment he sighed and held his staff out to Raph. "I hate it when you're right. I still don't want you to go after Slash without me, but if you accidentally run into him, I want you to be as prepared as you can." Raph looked at the staff uneasily. He looked like he was afraid of being attacked by it. Donnie grimaced, looking really regretful about something. "Please,"

Raph met his brother's eyes before he cautiously accepted the staff. Donnie immediately relaxed. "I'll look for Mikey, but Leo's staying here with you," Donnie said. Leo and Raph both looked at him like he was nuts.

"What? No!" Leo scowled. "I'm going with you to look for my brother,"

"No, you're not," Donnie said sternly in a tone that left little room for argument. "I know you're worried about your brother, but I'm worried about mine too. Raph's right. You can't look for Mikey on your own, but I can't leave my brother on his own either,"

Leo hated this, he really did, but he knew that the demigods had a point. He didn't know his way around the Hidden City, not the way that Donnie did. Even if Leo was able to find Mikey, he wouldn't be able to find his way back. And it just wouldn't be fair to ask Donnie to look for Mikey while abandoning his own brother. Donnie was doing Leo a huge favor, it was only fair that he return it.

"...I'll keep an eye on him," Leo promised. "I swear," And as reluctant as he was, Leo was a man of his word. If he made a promise, he kept it. That was how Splinter had raised him. Donnie gave Leo a small smile in appreciation before turning and running back towards where they had come from. Leo and Raph watched him go.

As soon as Donnie was out of sight, Raph sighed and looked at the staff in his hands. His eyes were full of regret. "I'm sorry, but I don't want you to be involved in this." At first, Leo thought that Raph was talking to him, but then the demigod looked up towards the roofs and glared intensely at absolutely nothing. "Okay, he's gone. Can we stop this pointless chase?"

Leo tensed as he saw a large shadowy figure come into view on the roof. Leo knew that it was whatever Raph had been glaring at all this time. He didn't need three guesses to have a pretty good idea of who it was.

"That...that's Slash," Leo didn't say it as a question. Raph's behavior was answer enough.

They stared at Slash for a long, tense moment, neither of them daring to move. Finally Slash drew back again. Raph grimaced. "Looks like I'm going to have to go up there." Raph looked back towards Leo, and he definitely didn't like the look in his eyes. Raph looked incredibly vulnerable, almost scared, but still determined. If Leo hadn't already promised Donnie that he would watch out for Raph, he would have decided right then and there to not let him confront Slash on his own. Nobody should have to confront something that so obviously scared them on their own, at least not without emotional support. Even if the only available source of that support was from someone that you didn't like.

"I shouldn't be too long," Raph said with a gentle tone that he mostly just used when he was talking to Donnie. "Just stay here, and I'll…"

"No," Leo said sternly. "You're already going behind your brother's back to meet up with Slash," It was clear that Raph had known that Slash was around, and he had gone out of his way to get Donnie to leave. Leo understood that Raph was just trying to keep an eye out for his brother, as well as keep Slash more content in hopes that he would be more willing to give the sais back, but that didn't change the fact that Raph was knowingly going against his brother's wishes. "The least you can do is let me do what he wanted, make sure you're okay."

Raph stared at Leo for a moment before he huffed in frustration and turned his attention back to the roof where Slash had retreated. "Do what you want," With that, Raph ran into the alleyway and began to scale his way up the building. Leo followed quickly behind him. Raph may not be forcing him to stay behind, but he wasn't going to be waiting around for him either.

Leo had always considered himself a decent climber, but Raph got up to the roof completely effortlessly, even with Donnie's staff in his grip. Leo trailed behind more than he would have liked, so he pushed himself to go faster. He didn't know what Slash would have in mind for Raph. He couldn't afford to waste a second. Leo had to be available to be backup, just in case Raph would need it, and he probably would.

As Leo finally pulled himself up to the roof, he saw Raph and Slash staring each other down. Leo was finally able to get a good look at Slash, and he stiffened. Leo didn't know how large mutants usually were, but Slash seemed massive. He was a few feet taller than Raph was, and much broader. Leo had always been really fond of turtles of all kinds, but this was the first time that he found himself intimidated by one. Slash was a scary guy.

Slash scowled when he saw Leo. "You brought a mortal with you,"

"Ignore him." Raph said darkly. "He won't interfere. This is still just between you and me." Raph held Donnie's staff out to the side, keeping Leo back. He didn't know if Raph was trying to hold him back, or if he was trying to protect him. Either way, Leo didn't like it at all. He didn't want someone to make his decisions for him.

Slash growled and Raph tightened his grip on his staff. "There's no reason to sound so disappointed. We're just two friends talking." What should have been reassuring sounded almost like a threat from Slash. Like, if Raph didn't relax and act like there was no bad blood between them, then Slash would make him regret it.

Leo could practically feel the rage pouring off of Raph. "Don't act like we're such pals. You stole my sais from me,"

"I stole nothing," Slash smirked. "They were given to me by another old friend of yours." Raph flinched ever so slightly, but it was enough for Slash to recognize. The mutant's smirk grew and he took a step towards them. Raph didn't step back, but he took up a defensive stance. He was ready for trouble.

"It's good to see you after so long, Raphael," Slash said, still making it sound like a threat. "Here I thought the gods had abandoned you," Slash glanced towards Leo, his expression darkened. He looked furious with him, even though Leo and Slash had never met each other before. Where could his animosity be coming from? "They wouldn't be the first ones,"

"Shut up!" Raph snapped. He stepped to the side slightly, blocking Leo entirely from Slash. "And leave him out of it."

"Why are you protecting him?" Slash asked, clearly trying to plant seeds of doubt. "What have the humans ever done for you? Why have you allowed your brother to talk you into helping them?"

"Don't talk about Donnie," Raph said. "You don't get to talk about him,"

Slash ignored Raph's threatening tone. "You've dedicated your life to serving the gods and helping the humans, but what have they done for you in return?" Leo heard Raph's breath hitch. Slash's words were getting to him.

"Raph," Leo said quietly, but Slash spoke right over him.

"They abandoned you!" Slash shouted. "Do you really think that the ocean, the gods, or this mortal behind you, have your best interest at heart? That they don't have ulterior motives? Tell me the truth, Raph."

Raph relaxed ever so slightly, but Leo didn't think it was because he was calming down. In Leo's experience, when someone is being truly affected by negative things that were being said, they either got defensive, or they got defeated. Raph's anger had been defensive. Leo hadn't liked it very much, but he would actually prefer the furious fight to this hopelessness.

"I don't care about what the mortals and gods want anymore," Raph said, though his tone suggested that he actually cared a lot. "But that doesn't mean that I care about your opinion either. You aren't any better than they are,"

Slash all but roared at Raph. "I've _never_ demanded anything from you."

"Are you kidding me?" Leo relaxed ever so slightly when he heard the anger in Raph's voice. The fight hadn't left him completely. "You tried to keep me from my brother. As horrible as the gods, the ocean, and a few mortals are, at least they never went that far. We may have been abandoned, imprisoned, feared, and about everything else I can think of, but we were still together. _You're_ the one who tried to take that from me,"

"You don't need him," Slash stepped forward again until he was standing just in front of Raph. "He just holds you back,"

"Hey!" Raph used Donnie's staff to push Slash away from him. "I told you to not talk about him." Raph gave his staff a meaningful glance. "And the only way he holds me back is when he stops me from doing something that I'll end up regretting."

Slash was quiet for a moment. He silently watched Slash for that horrible smirk returned to his face. Slash grabbed Donnie's staff and pulled it towards him. Raph cried out in alarm and tried to pull the staff back, but Slash's grip was firm.

"I saw how reluctant you were to take Donatello's staff," Slash said. "Why was that?" Leo hadn't thought a lot about it, but he'd actually noticed that as well. He'd just thought that Raph hadn't wanted to leave his brother defenseless, but the way that Raph seemed to freeze at Slash's question told Leo that there was something more to it.

"None of your business," Raph said too quickly.

"In the past, you always used your brother's staff as easily as you used your sais," Slash commented. "I've never seen you scared of a weapon before, let alone a weapon that belongs to your brother. So what happened? What did he do."

"Nothing," Raph seethed. "He just…"

"He used his powers against you," Slash said. Raph let out a wounded noise, and Leo stared at him in shock. Donnie seemed to care about nothing more than his brother, and yet they were fighting with each other. Leo understood that brothers fought, it just happened sometimes, but this was not the best time for that. Raph really shouldn't have gone anywhere near Slash without feeling like he had his brother's complete and unquestionable support. Slash knew Raph better than Leo did, and he had to recognize the vulnerability there, and he was taking advantage of that.

Slash pulled the staff, bringing Raph even closer to him. "It was bound to happen sooner or later. Donatello may claim to care about you, but we both know how ambitious he is. I'm surprised it took this long for your brother to get tired of dragging you behind him."

"That's not what happened," Raph growled. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"No?" Slash used the staff as leverage to shove Raph back. Leo stepped forward and steadied Raph before he could fall. He frowned when he felt Raph's hands shaking slightly. Slash was getting to him. "You're telling me that after five hundred years, your brother has been just fine with holding himself back just to spare your feelings?"

"That...I don't..." Raph blinked. He looked slightly ill. "Shut up."

Leo had kept silent so far, because he'd had no way of knowing how Slash could react to Leo's interfering. The whole reason why he stayed with Raph was because he'd promised Donnie that he would keep his brother safe. Slash wasn't physically attacking Raph, and Leo didn't want to do anything to change that. The problem now was that while Raph wasn't being physically attacked, he certainly was emotionally and mentally. It just didn't feel right to stay back and keep quiet when Raph looked like his world was cracking at the seams.

"Unless you can read Donnie's mind and know exactly what he's thinking, I suggest you stop speaking for him," Leo glared at Slash as he kept a grip on Raph's shoulder in an attempt to ground him. "If Raph and Donnie didn't tear each other apart while stuck on that island, do you really think that it'll be this easy to break their relationship?"

"They only had each other on that prison island," Slash commented. "They would have been fools to push each other away, but now that they're free, Donatello has no reason to stay with someone who can't use powers."

Raph snarled. "I can use my powers as soon as I get my sais back."

Leo really didn't like Slash's dark, smug expression. "Are you sure about that?" Slash reached behind him and pulled out two sais. He tossed them carelessly at Raph's feet. Raph stared at them cautiously for a moment before he adjusted his grip on his staff and bent down to pick up his sais.

Raph relaxed slightly as he examined his sais. He put one of them at his sash, which Leo now noticed had a spot just for the sais to go to. Raph twirled the other sai around experimentally. For the first time since Leo had seen him, he seemed completely content.

Leo wasn't as relaxed as Raph was. He may have gotten what they'd come here for, but it couldn't be that easy. Slash had to be up to something, and Leo was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Raph took a deep breath, not to gather his nerves, but to savor the moment. "You're going to regret all of this, _Spike,"_ Slash snarled at the incorrect name, which was probably exactly what Raph had intended. The demigod clutched the sai tightly and made a purposeful slashing motion with it.

The three of them waited tensely for a moment. Leo didn't know what was supposed to have happened, but apparently it was supposed to be something more than the nothing that happened. Raph paled and stared at his sai in slight horror. He tried waving it again, but there was no change. Slash chuckled darkly.

"Where's your mighty powers over water?" Slashed asked mockingly.

"Wh-why?" Raph looked slightly traumatized. "Why didn't it work?"

"Focus, Raph," Leo said. This really wasn't the time to freak out. "You're probably just a little rusty because it's been so long," Leo didn't really know how Raph's powers worked, but he was still trying to do what he could to help. "Is there anything else you can do?" Leo couldn't care less if Raph was actually capable of using powers, but it seemed to mean a lot to the demigod. Leo didn't have to understand it to know that it was important, at least to Raph. Leo desperately wanted Raph to be capable of doing something, _anything,_ with his powers, for his own sake.

Raph's grip on the sai and staff tightened so much that his fingers were becoming white. "...Maybe," Raph adjusted his grip on the staff and put the handle of the sai against the top of the stick. He pushed the two together. Leo felt a small shudder go down his spine. There was an unfamiliar power in the air, and it seemed to be coming from the weapons.

Raph let out a shaky laugh as he let go of the sai and held out the staff. The sai, remarkably, stayed on the top of the staff. It no longer looked like two weapons, but somehow just a single one. Leo realized in awe that he was looking at Raph and Donnie's shared weapon. The trident.

Raph smirked and held the trident out towards Slash in a threatening manner. The mutant looked unimpressed, but Leo had no idea if this was just an act, or if he really wasn't the least bit intimidated by Raph in all his demigod glory.

"What do you think you're going to do with that?" Slash stepped towards Raph again. "Transform? What makes you think you can shapeshift if you can't harness the power of the water?"

"My control over the water was a gift from the ocean," Raph said irritably. "Our shapeshifting was a gift from the gods when they turned us into demigods. As long as I'm not a mortal, I should be able to do this," _Should_. Raph sounded much more confident than Leo thought he should be.

Raph grasped the trident with both hands and Leo felt that rush of power in the air all over again, and it was getting stronger. Leo was starting to hope that something was actually going to happen when it all went wrong. The power stopped so suddenly that it left Leo with a slight feeling of vertigo. He watched in horror as the sai fell off of the staff and clattered to the ground.

"My...my powers," Raph sounded completely destroyed, like he had lost absolutely everything. "Where...why…"

Slash chuckled and grabbed at Donnie's staff again. With one pull Slash was able to pull it out of Raph's grip. The mutant took the staff and swung it harshly, hitting Raph hard in the chest so hard that Leo was worried that the crack he had heard was more than just the sound of wood hitting flesh.

Raph fell to the side, and Leo was horrified to see that he wasn't moving at all. Leo doubted that Raph was actually knocked out, but the chances that he was completely giving up was far more likely than Leo was comfortable with.

"Raph!" Leo rushed to make sure that the demigod was okay. He picked up Raph's sai on the way, figuring that they should probably keep this weapon away from Slash. Before Leo could get to Raph, his arm was grabbed in an iron solid grip. Leo cried out in pain as he was lifted painfully into the air. His arm wasn't dislocated or anything like that, but Leo thought that it was pretty darn close. He didn't dare struggle, for fear of hurting himself.

Leo's cry of pain turned into a shout of anger and concern as Slash, still holding Leo tightly, stalked over to Raph, who was still lying on the ground. Slash used Donnie's staff to nudge Raph to his back. Once he was sure that Raph was watching him, Slash carelessly tossed the staff off the edge of the roof, making Raph let out a sound that was almost like a whimper. The whimper quickly became a groan of pain as Slash put his foot on Raph's chest and slowly applied pressure.

"Stop fighting me, Raphael," Slash said, though Donnie was pretty sure that Raph was beyond the point of even thinking of putting up a fight. "We both know it'll be easier if you just give in,"

Leo now understood Donnie's hatred for Slash, and why he'd been so adamant about his brother not interacting with the mutant at all. Leo hated Slash with a passion. "Don't listen to him, Raph," Leo said furiously. "He's just-" Leo's angry words are cut off by Slash covering his mouth with his other hand. The mutant snarled and stepped down harder on Raph's chest, making him grunt in pain.

Leo grimaced and closed his eyes as Slash tightened his grip on his arm. He hated this. Leo had promised Donnie that he would keep Raph safe, and he was failing quite spectacularly. Not only had Slash completely torn down Raph's barriers, but he'd also attacked them both physically as well, and Leo couldn't do anything to stop it. He was completely helpless. They both were, and there was nothing they could do about it.


	13. Chapter 13

Donnie ran down the streets. The wind was at his back, guiding and assisting him. The wind was pushing Donnie faster, giving him additional lift when he needed to jump around the mutants and yokai. The wind was also responsible for leading Donnie to where he was going. He didn't know where Mikey was, but the wind knew everything. Donnie just had to follow where the wind was pushing him.

Donnie barely paid attention to his surroundings. He didn't want to waste any time. He needed to find Mikey and get back to Raph. Donnie wasn't an idiot. He knew that Slash had been watching them, and that Raph had pushed him to get out of there before Slash got impatient. Donnie felt sick to his stomach knowing that he had willingly left Raph to confront Slash, but as possessive as Slash was of Raph, he also genuinely seemed to like him. Raph was right about one thing, Slash's aggression would just get worse if Donnie was there.

Donnie just hoped that Leo would be able to keep Raph calm, and that Slash really did just want to talk with his brother. Violence wasn't necessary, not today.

Donnie was concerned, but not surprised when the wind lead him to the square. He flinched and drew back into the first alleyway he came across when he saw that the main plaza was completely packed with rowdy mutants and yokai. If there was one thing that Donnie didn't have any patience for, it was aggressive and angry beings egging each other on. It was one of the reasons why he didn't like Slash to be anywhere near Raph.

Donnie had just jumped into the alley because he hadn't wanted to get caught up with the crowd, but when he felt the ocean pushing at his stomach, encouraging him to go deeper into the alley, he knew he was on the right path.

"Mikey," Donnie whispered as intensely as he could, because he didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to himself, but if Mikey was nearby, he wanted the teenager to hear him. "You in here?"

_*Mroww*_

Donnie jumped and automatically got into a defensive stance, ready to fight at a moment's notice. Five hundred years on an island with nobody but his brother for company made him a little jumpy. Donnie sighed and deflated in annoyance when he saw that it was just a cat...a very familiar looking cat.

"Mayunk?" Donnie frowned and crouched down, bringing himself closer to the cat's level. "Is that you?" Donnie wasn't as interested in animals as Mikey or Raph were, so he could easily be mistaken in thinking that this cat was Mayunk, but he didn't think he was. He hadn't been exaggerating when he'd suggested that there might be mutants and yokai around who might want to eat the cat, or possibly mutate it. Normal animals didn't last long in the Hidden City.

Donnie picked up the cat and began to examine it, checking for signs of mutation. It certainly appeared normal, and the way that the cat curled into his hold and began purring confirmed Donnie's suspicion. There was no way that this animal actually lived in the Hidden City. The whole place was a rough neighborhood. No creature, not even a little cat, would be so trusting of a stranger.

"Have you seen Mikey around?" Donnie stood up as he naturally began to stroke the cat. Donnie looked around the alley. "I need to find him."

The cat meowed again and began reaching in the direction of an incredibly broken-down looking door leading into a building. Maybe the cat was just acting like a normal cat, but it certainly seemed like it was trying to lead him.

Donnie gave the cat that was probably Mayunk a stern look. He didn't think that animals were as intelligent as humans were, but Raph swore that animals were a lot more aware than he gave them credit for. Donnie didn't know what else to do, so he thought he might as well give his brother's way a try.

"You'd better not be leading me astray," Donnie warned the cat. He clutched it tightly to his chest, just in case there was some trouble through that door, and went inside. The building was dark, but it smelled full of mold and dust. Either this place had been abandoned for a long time, or the being that lived here was very bad at basic cleaning.

Donnie was just a few steps inside before he heard a low growling. He froze in his tracks. Someone, a potential threat, was in here with him. If he was Raph, Donnie would jump blindly into a fight before knowing exactly who or what he was fighting, but that wasn't Donnie's style. He had a much more diplomatic approach.

"Uh, hello," Donnie called out in what he hoped was a pleasant tone. "I'm here looking for, well, a human. Maybe you've seen him arou- _agh!_ " Donnie cried out in alarm when he felt a clawed hand grip his face and pull him forward. The claws weren't painful, but definitely surprising and alarming. It wasn't a very good feeling.

"Wha-Donnie?" He heard Mikey's voice, but the claws in his face were preventing him from turning to see. "What are you doing here?" Donnie grunted and tried to answer, but he could barely make a sound. "Oh, sorry, hang on," Donnie could practically hear the sheepish smile in Mikey's voice. "Come on, that's a friend of mine. Put him down."

The creature holding Donnie's face growled and briefly tightened its grip before it had mercy and let him go. Donnie felt to the ground, startled and trying to figure out what had happened. He looked up in front of him and flinched. He pulled Mayunk protectively close to him. The room was still incredibly dim, but someone had turned on a light so Donnie was able to see what was before him, and he almost wished that he couldn't. Glaring threateningly in front of him was a tall alligator mutant (It resembled a regular alligator far too much for it to be a yokai).

The mutant didn't seem happy to see Donnie there, but it wasn't attacking him, so there was that.

"Donnie!" He blinked in shock when Mikey practically jumped on him. It took Donnie a minute to figure out that Mikey was, in fact, hugging him. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you," Donnie pat Mikey on the back before pulling away from him. "Didn't we tell you to not run off? It's dangerous."

"Mayunk ran off," Mikey pet his cat, who purred loudly. "I didn't want him to get eaten." It was understandable, but that didn't mean that Donnie had to like it.

"The Hidden City is dangerous," The alligator mutant nodded in agreement, though Donnie didn't really know who he was agreeing with. "I found Michelangelo at the rally. I didn't think it would be safe for him."

"You...helped Mikey," Donnie said slowly. He looked from Mikey to the mutant. There didn't seem to be any animosity between the two of them. Mikey had no fear of the mutant, who, in turn, had gone out of its way to keep him safe. "Why? Who are you?" Donnie didn't pretend to know every mutant and yokai in the hidden city, but he and Raph had spent a lot of time here in the past, and Donnie thought that he would remember a mutant of this size who was actually fairly protective of a stranger.

"Oh, this is Leatherhead," MIkey said. The mutant, Leatherhead, seemed to grin in amusement at the name. "I came up with it myself."

Donnie frowned. "Mikey, you can't just name a mutant because you feel like it. He probably already has a name." Donnie really hoped that his assumption that Leatherhead was male was correct. He didn't want to upset the massive mutant any more than he already had.

"No name," Leatherhead said. "Alligators don't have names for each other. When I was changed, I never chose one."

"When you changed…" Donnie's eyes widened. Leatherhead was a first generation mutant. He knew they weren't exactly rare, especially with Baron Draxum and his followers mutating any mortals or animals they came across, but the only other first generation mutant he'd met was Slash. It made him feel a little cautious.

Raph had first met Slash shortly after he'd first been mutated. Raph had taken Slash under his wing a bit, helped him to deal with the changes that came with changing from a normal snapping turtle to a completely aware mutant. Though Slash would forever deny this, he'd been really scared back then. Raph's method of helping Slash keep calm was just by opening up to him. Raph had helped Slash to not feel so vulnerable and weak by sharing his own vulnerabilities and weaknesses.

It had worked too well. There were very few people that Raph had dared to open up to, and Slash had used that trust, abused it, and then completely crushed it. Slash wasn't stable, and Donnie knew that a lot of that may have come from his original mutation.

Donnie knew that one unstable first generation mutant wasn't necessarily a good representation of all first generation mutants, but he couldn't help but be wary of Leatherhead. He didn't know anything about this guy. Mikey seemed to like him, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. Raph had trusted Slash, and look where that got him.

"So, Mikey named you," Donnie said quietly. He wasn't usually one for small talk, but having a casual conversation with the mutant may help him to learn just what the mutant was like.

"He did," Leatherhead nodded. He seemed much more relaxed than before. "I haven't met many humans, but this one is kind. He put himself in danger to save a cat. He didn't deserve to be hurt or mutated, so I helped him. As thanks, he gave me a name."

"Aw, it's no big deal," Mikey grinned and patted Leatherhead's arm. Donnie actually agreed with Leatherhead. Even when you're someone who was in the habit of helping others, it was still a _very_ big deal if you risked your own safety for the sake of another. Mikey had no idea how odd and admirable his kindness and optimism was.

"So," Mikey dragged his word out and rocked on his heels a bit. He looked around. "Where's Raph and Leo?"

Donnie stiffened. "They're probably _talking_ to Slash right now," The longer he was here, the more he was doubting that Slash was capable of talking civilly with anybody, let alone with Raph.

"Slash?" Leatherhead's slitted eyes paled and looked almost completely white and almost milky. Donnie didn't have a good feeling about this. "What is he doing this time?" Leatherhead's question sounded like it was half growled. He was getting riled up, but if Leatherhead knew Slash, which Donnie suspected, he couldn't blame him. Slash had that kind of effect on people.

"He's either talking to or trying to kill Raph," Mikey said casually. Donnie had no idea how he could be so calm about this. Donnie was absolutely terrified, and sitting here talking to a mutant didn't make him feel any better.

"How do you know Slash?" Donnie asked cautiously. It was possible that Leatherhead just knew Slash by reputation alone, but Donnie had the feeling that it was more personal than that. Leatherhead could be enemies with Slash, as many people were, but he could also be an ally or friend. And any friend of Slash's was an enemy of Donnie's, no matter how seemingly kind they were.

"We were part of a team," Leatherhead said. Donnie scowled and moved towards Leatherhead. Mikey stepped in his way and put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "But I've been concerned about his behavior recently. He's been furious since he found those sais."

Donnie clenched his fists and practically growled. This was more Raph's style, but he'd rubbed off on him. "My brother's sais."

Mikey finally looked concerned about the situation. "Maybe we should go find our brothers now. They might need help." Donnie thought this was the smartest thing that Mikey had said all day.

"It isn't safe for two young humans to wander around the Hidden City on your own," Leatherhead's eyes cleared up. He still seemed a little angry, but in a more focused, in control way. "I will accompany you." Donnie wasn't technically a human, but he didn't bother correcting Leatherhead. Mikey kept quiet either.

Donnie didn't want to rely on a stranger's help, especially not someone who could easily decide to side with Slash, but Leatherhead seemed determined to protect Mikey. If Slash threatened Mikey, Leatherhead may be willing to step in between them. Even if Leatherhead only protected Mikey, that was one less person that Donnie would have to worry about.

"Let's hurry," Donnie handed Mayunk to Mikey, who happily took his cat back. "Keep a tight hold on him this time." Donnie didn't want to stay away from his brother any longer than necessary, and he really didn't have the patience to deal with another detor.

The three of them left the dim building. Instead of turning back into the crowded plaza, they went the other way. Not only would taking back roads allow them to stay away from the potentially dangerous crowds, but Donnie thought he could remember some short cuts. Donnie lead the way, even though the wind wasn't guiding him anymore. It was nice to have it's help to find Mikey, but Donnie knew better than to ask so much from it. The air, like the gods, could provide assistance and gifts as it pleased, but you shouldn't make demands or set expectations for it. Donnie had seen how devastated Raph had been when the ocean had gone against what he'd expected. Donnie didn't want to feel like that, or give the air any reason to think that he was ungrateful.

It didn't take long for them to get back to where Donnie had left Raph and Leo. They weren't there, but Donnie had known they wouldn't be. He didn't know exactly where Raph would have gone to have that confrontation with Slash. Donnie just hoped that neither of them would have the patience to go very far.

Donnie didn't think a lot about which direction to go. When they were together, Slash and Raph had always been in the habit of retreating up onto roofs. Chances were, they were up there somewhere. No sooner did Donnie think think before he heard some muffled grunting and thumping above them. It sounded like a fight could be going on up there.

Donnie was about to scale up the building in a way that Raph normally would when he heard Mikey gasp. "Is that...dude, is that your staff?" Donnie snapped his gaze to Mikey, who was pointing across the street. Donnie saw a staff lying carelessly on the ground He rushed to it and carefully picked it up. He felt his blood run cold. Raph wouldn't have let his staff end up like this, not if he had any say in the matter.

_Slash._

He had to be responsible for this. Donnie knew that his brother would do anything in his power to keep the staff safe, he would treat it with more care than his own weapons. For the staff to have ended up down here, Slash must have gotten his hands on it, and the only way he could have done that was if he had dominated over Raph. And Donnie was sure that Slash was holding that dominance still, or else Raph would have come down here to get the staff, and the muffled sounds from the roof would be louder, as Raph wasn't a very quiet fighter.

A particularly loud thump from the roof was soon followed by a quiet, weak, but painful sounding groan. Donnie saw red.

He clenched his fingers around his staff. His brother was hurting, and he needed help. Donnie needed to get up there, _now._ He wasn't as fast a climber as Raph was, but he didn't need to climb. Donnie had other methods to get to where he needed to go.

Donnie closed his eyes and tightened his grip around his staff, letting his powers flow through. He tried not to think about what would be the consequences of the choice he was making now. Raph had no idea what he could do, and Donnie had kept it a secret for a reason. Things were strained between the two of them right now, and Donnie knew that he could potentially be ruining everything between the two of them, but he couldn't think about that right now. Donnie had to help Raph, and this was the best way he could do that.

Donnie snapped his eyes open, and though he couldn't see his own eyes he knew that they had shifted from the usual reddish brown color to almost completely black. Donnie stood up and twirled his staff, releasing his powers, making it surround him. A moment later Donnie felt the rest of the change go through him.

Donnie spread his arms out, slightly raised, except they weren't arms anymore, but wings. Donnie's entire body had changed into that of an albatross. He was shorter than he was in his normal form, but he didn't need height to get Slash away from his brother. Feeling nothing but determination, Donnie ran forward and caught the wind under his wings. In an instant he had flown up to the roof.

Donnie saw Slash with a firm and harsh hold on Leo, which he felt bad about, but the majority of his focus was on Raph, who was being pushed to the ground by Slash's foot. He looked hurt and slightly defeated. It wasn't a look that Donnie liked to see on his brother.

Letting out a chattering cry, Donnie dove towards Slash. Just before hitting him Donnie transformed back into his normal form, which was larger, heavier, and better fit for landing a solid hit. Using his momentum, and with the wind behind him, Donnie was able to shove Slash away from Raph, catching him so off balance that he dropped Leo in the process.

Donnie landed on the roof solidly between Raph and Slash. He held his staff threateningly towards Slash. "Leave my brother alone."

"D-Donnie?" Raph stared at him in slight horror. "You...how did you…?"

"Now isn't the right time, Raph," Donnie said sternly. He couldn't risk apologizing to his brother now. That would require sincere emotion, and letting how he felt show through right now would give Slash an opening to target. Normally Donnie didn't see emotion as a weakness, but Slash definitely did, and he wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of that.

"Donatello," Slash snarled and glowered at him. "Was that a transformation I just saw?"

"I may have been a mortal once," Donnie said. "But I'm much more than that now. You know that."

Slash looked past Donnie towards Raph. "At least one of you didn't grow useless in your banishment."

Donnie waved his staff, summoning a strong air current to hit Slash, forcing him to look away from Raph. "I told you to leave him alone."

Slash used to hate being pushed around by Donnie's wind. He didn't like the use of powers. At this moment though, Slash seemed more amused than anything. "So, you have all of your powers, and didn't even need the sais or trident to pull it off."

Out of the corner of his eyes Donnie saw Mikey pull himself onto the roof, with Leatherhead just behind him. Mikey rushed over to Leo, whose shoulder looked a little off. Leatherhead scowled and stepped towards Slash. He didn't seem ready to fight with him, but more than ready to keep Slash from harming them. Donnie still didn't know just why Leatherhead was wanting to help them, but he wasn't going to question the assistance. Not right now.

Donnie wanted to fight with Slash, take his frustrations with the mutant out on him, but more than that he wanted to get his brother away from him. As Leatherhead rushed towards Slash and shoved him back, Donnie lowered his staff and headed towards his brother. Raph was still on the ground, staring at him.

"Raph," Donnie held his hand out to his brother. "We have to go," Raph flinched ever so slightly from Donnie's hand. Raph didn't seem scared, but he still looked incredibly vulnerable and lost, like he was expecting to be hurt, and didn't think there was anything he could do about it. It broke Donnie's heart. "Please,"

Raph didn't move, so Donnie had to take the initiative. He grabbed Raph's arm and pulled him up. Donnie noticed that Raph had one of his sais at his belt, and a glance towards Leo, who was being helped up by Mikey, showed that he had the other one. At that moment, Donnie couldn't care less about the sais. They may mean everything to Raph, but Donnie's brother meant everything to him, whether he could use his powers or not.

Glancing towards Leatherhead, who was still holding Slash back, Donnie pulled his brother towards the edge of the roof. Mikey did the same for Leo. Donnie used his staff to summon the wind's help. It was more use of his powers than he usually used, and he was a little out of practice, but he trusted the wind to assist him. Mortals and even demigods, couldn't normally fly, but people would be surprised at just how powerful the wind could be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This seems like an incredibly odd place to end the chapter, but it also, somehow, seems like the most natural, so I just went with it.  
> The research for this chapter was fun. Have you guys ever seen a video of an albatross? They're freaking hilarious, but also rather impressive. These birds can get pretty massive, which is what I wanted, because unlike Maui, I wanted Donnie to only transform into animals exactly how they are, and the sizes that they should be. So he can't become just a huge version of a regular bird.  
> I just had to include Leatherhead. My sister, who helped me to develop this idea, really likes Leatherhead. I hope I wrote him well. It's been a long time since I've watched the 2012 series.


	14. Chapter 14

Donnie still had his powers. They'd been banished and abandoned by the gods, and yet nothing seemed to have changed for him. Raph knew that Donnie had still been in the wind's favor and been able to access the powers of the air, so that much didn't come as a surprise to him. It was still a little painful and infuriating that Donnie's relationship with the wind hadn't changed at all while Raph was stuck building up his relationship with the ocean from the ground up. But it wasn't Donnie's fault that he was more likeable. It wasn't his fault that he still had his powers. He'd never asked for it.

Raph wasn't bothered by Donnie's air powers. What he was shocked and slightly disturbed about was that Donnie could apparently still transform, even when he only had access to his staff. Before the whole banishment mess, they'd only been able to transform when they combined both of their weapons and powers. Donnie used to theorize that it was because the gods hadn't wanted the two of them to get too powerful.

Obviously, that theory was completely off. Not only could Donnie still transform after all this time, something that Raph himself couldn't do even with both of their weapons, but Donnie did it all on his own...without Raph's help. Donnie had done it so easily that Raph doubted that this was the first time he had done it. So Donnie could transform, he'd been able to for who knows how long, and Donnie had _never told him._

Raph was confused and hurt, and he absolutely hated how weak it made him feel. He knew it probably wasn't that big a deal, but it certainly felt like it. Slash's taunts and words had affected him more than Raph cared to admit, but seeing Donnie transform like that right in front of him, it made everything worse. It felt like everything that Slash said was being confirmed.

Raph was so caught up in his own mind that he didn't do anything as Donnie basically pulled him along as they flew back to their boat. He stood frozen as Donnie, who's grip on his arm had moved down to his hand, gave the staff a wave once they were back on the boat to summon a gust of wind to fill the sails and get them moving.

They were almost to the exit of the Hidden City when there was a loud roar. Donnie stiffened and tightened his grip so much that Raph felt his hands go numb. Raph knew his brother well enough to know that Donnie must have thought that the roar belonged to Slash. But Raph also knew Slash well enough to know it wasn't him. It was a different mutant, and they sounded both really angry, and really nearby.

Looking for something else to focus on other than this unreasonable feeling of betrayal, Raph turned his gaze to the city, scanning for trouble. He could see Mikey doing the same, though the mortal seemed to be looking for an entirely different reason.

Just before they reached the mist that would take them back to the mortal world Raph saw a large mutant running right towards them. He growled and automatically reached for the sai at his side, but Mikey's reaction caught him off guard. He didn't seem worried or anxious, he seemed to be almost relieved and happy.

"Donnie, wait!" Mikey grabbed Donnie's staff and pulled it down. "It's Leatherhead. We can't just leave him."

The name didn't sound familiar, but Raph realized that he did vaguely recognize the alligator-like mutant running towards them. The mutant, Leatherhead, had been on the roof and had fought off Slash, giving them the chance to get away. Raph didn't know this mutant, but maybe he was a friend, or at the very least an ally. So he didn't say anything as Donnie did as Mikey asked and slowed the boat down enough for Leatherhead to catch up to them.

Raph didn't like that they were staying still. If Leatherhead was here, then that meant that he wasn't holding Slash back anymore. Raph's old so-called friend couldn't be far behind him. Donnie seemed to share his sentiments, because the second that Leatherhead had jumped onto the small boat, which was starting to get way too cramped, the wind started up again and they started off.

Once they were through the mists and back out onto the open ocean, Raph suddenly didn't feel as vulnerable as before. Slash wasn't out here, and while there was nothing keeping the mutant from following them out, _this_ was the world that Raph was used to. He may not like it very much sometimes, especially when out on the open ocean when the traitorous sea didn't seem to like him very much, but familiar territory, no matter how horrible it was, left Raph feeling a lot more in control than he had been in the Hidden City. And control was something that he really wanted right now.

Raph tightened his grip around his sai as he remembered the control was about the last thing that he had. He had his sais back, which felt great, but nothing had changed. He couldn't control or influence the water, and he couldn't even transform...and Donnie could.

Raph didn't realize that he was squeezing his brother's hand until Donnie gave him a squeeze back. "Are you okay?"

Raph scowled and pulled his hand away from Donnie's. He glared at his brother. "You wanna tell me what all of that was about?! We've only ever been able to transform _together._ Since when have you been able to do it on your own?"

Donnie grimaced. For a long moment he didn't answer and Raph was worried that he just wouldn't tell him, but finally Donnie seemed to get over his hesitancy. "It took me a few years of trial and error to figure it out, but...but I figured it out about 450 years ago."

Raph paled slightly. 450 years? Why hadn't Donnie ever told him? Why would he have kept that secret for so long? Raph swallowed and just stared at his brother. He felt like he had forgotten how to speak, but it probably didn't matter, because he couldn't even think of what he wanted to say.

Donnie clutched at his staff like it was a lifeline. "Raph, I swear, I wasn't trying to hurt you." Raph glared at his brother. Yes, he was hurt, but he didn't want attention drawn to it. "I just...you know me, I like knowing things just for the same of knowing it. It's not like I went out of my way to learn something that I knew you couldn't do."

Raph huffed. "I know," Donnie could be a little thoughtless sometimes, but he wasn't really cruel. "But I don't...it's just...agh!" Raph knelt down just so he could punch at the ocean. He was met with resistance. It was almost like hitting something solid. Raph wondered if the ocean had done this because it wanted to cause him pain, or because it knew that he really wanted something to take his aggression out on. "I don't get it!"

Donnie immediately latched on to that, like he always did. Raph was already regretting his choice of words. "What don't you understand?" The only thing that Donnie liked more than learning things was being able to teach someone who was struggling.

Raph didn't usually have patience for Donnie's all-knowing attitude, but especially not right now. "If you've been able to transform all this time, why didn't you just turn into a bird and fly away from that stupid island?!" It was the most obvious thing to Raph, and what was obvious to him must be the first thing that Donnie thought of. Donnie's shocked and horrified expression told Raph that maybe it wasn't so obvious.

"You...why would you think I would do that?" Donnie sounded insulted at the very thought, which just frustrated and confused Raph.

"Why wouldn't you?" Raph stood up and spread his hands out. "You have the wind on your side. It would have let you leave the limbo. You could have left at any time, and you're seriously telling me that you never even _considered_ it?" Raph was getting progressively louder. He knew that Leo was watching him, but he couldn't really care less about what he thought at the moment.

Donnie was looking incredibly overwhelmed. He took a deep breath to get his emotions under control. Donnie then gave Raph a look that was more concerned than anything else, and Raph hated it. He didn't want his brother to feel sorry for him, he wanted to know why his brother was acting like an idiot.

Donnie didn't seem to be done asking questions. "If your positions were switched, is that what you would have done?"

Shock cut through Raph's anger, at least for a moment. "I...no, of course not," Raph just stared at his brother. Sure, he may wonder why Donnie wouldn't have left, even though he definitely wouldn't have, but it was different! Donnie had so much going for him. He shouldn't be held back by his brother.

"And yet you're wondering why I didn't?" Donnie's tone was slightly hurt, but his expression was one of pure curiosity. He seemed to just be trying to understand.

"That's different," Raph growled.

"Why?" Donnie asked, sounding like he was getting pretty angry himself. "Why is it different for you?"

"Because you deserve better!" Raph shouted. Donnie looked like he'd been hit. It took him a moment to recover, and when he did he looked absolutely furious.

"I do _not_ deserve better than having you as a brother," Donnie snapped.

"You're such an idiot," Raph glared at his brother, though Donnie, for once, met his glare with equal ferocity. "You could have left. This whole time you could have been out in the world helping people, learning, doing whatever you want, but you didn't. Why? Because of some stupid loyalty to your stupid brother?"

"Raph," Leo stepped towards them, but they both ignored him.

"I wasn't going to leave you!" Donnie shouted. The air rustled around them. Raph unconsciously took a step back. Donnie looked angrier than Raph had ever seen him. "I get that your mad that I kept my access to my powers a secret from you, and you have every right to be mad, but don't expect me to apologize for not leaving, because I won't. I'm not going to apologize for caring about you!"

This was too much for Raph to handle. He didn't know what to do, or what to think, and he didn't want to be anywhere near his brother right now. He just wanted to get away. Raph turned towards the ocean. It always seemed to know how he was feeling and what he needed. It didn't always help or like him. Sure, recently he'd been on the ocean's bad side, but the ocean changed its mind on a whim. There was no harm in giving it a try.

"Please, just this once," Raph muttered in a type of prayer. He stepped to the edge of the boat and, after taking a deep breath, he dove into the water. The ocean seemed to come up to meet him. Raph barely had to give it a thought or effort before he could feel the ocean moving him through the waves. It felt like he had become one with the water. It was a feeling that Raph had really missed, but he couldn't focus on it at the moment. He couldn't think about the ocean and his brother at once. He could only handle one difficult relationship at a time.

Raph didn't know where the ocean was taking him, and he didn't care. He just wanted a chance to get away, and the ocean was giving him the chance to get just that. He didn't know how long he was in the water, he just lost himself in the waves. He was only forced to come back to himself when the ocean sharply, but not all that harshly, washed him up on the shore of an island.

For a terrifying moment Raph was scared that he had been sent back to his limbo island prison, but one look around the beach had him relax. It definitely wasn't the all-too-familiar island. This was somewhere new where he had the chance to catch his breath, and Raph really appreciated it.

Raph grabbed his sai from his side and glared at it for a moment. He felt all of the anger at Slash, at his brother, just at this situation in general manifest itself into anger aimed solely at the weapon in his hand. Raph shouted in anger and tossed the sai onto the sandy beach. He knew he would want it again soon, but at the moment he didn't want to even look at his weapon. It just felt like a symbol of his failure.

Raph sat down on the ground and pulled his legs close to his chest. He buried his legs onto his knees and clutched his hair desperately. He may have been able to get away from Donnie for a moment, but he couldn't escape his own feelings of not being good enough. If anything, being on his own made those feelings even stronger.

Raph was vaguely aware of the tide rising up higher than it naturally should. The water was licking at his feet. Raph remembered during his first days as a demigod, long before they'd been banished, the ocean used to do this kind of thing all the time. It was its way of reassuring him, telling him that he wasn't alone.

Raph _knew_ that he wasn't alone, but that was part of the problem. He didn't _want_ to be alone, but sometimes he wondered if it would be better for him and everyone else if he was.

Raph felt the breeze pick up around him and he stiffened. The ocean may have been able to get him to this island in a hurry, but the wind could get Donnie where he needed to go just as quickly. He wasn't ready to talk to his brother.

"Just go away," Raph muttered as he closed in more on himself. The water at his feet went away, and Raph didn't know whether to feel relieved or betrayed that the ocean had apparently listened to him. Before he could sort out how he felt Raph heard what sounded like the roaring of a wave. The air cooled around him and even though Raph was burying his head he was sure that everything had darkened a little bit.

Curious, Raph lifted his head and was taken aback when he saw a wall of water in front of him that looked almost like a waterfall that was going up. Through the water Raph could see the sail boot just a few feet away. Donnie was there looking at the water barrier in a look that was half awe and half annoyance.

"Raph, come on, let the wall down." Donnie shouted, but Raph could barely hear him over the water.

"Back off, Donnie," Raph shouted back, and the water seemed to get louder to reflect his desire to get some space.

Raph heard talking on the other side of the water, but he couldn't make out what was being said. He returned his head to its place against his knees. He knew that Donnie would get around the ocean eventually, but he didn't want to think about that right now. He just wanted everything to go away.

There was a slight pause in the roaring of the water, immediately followed by a splashing sound and footsteps. Raph stiffened. Why couldn't Donnie take a hint?

"Raph," He was taken aback at the voice he heard. That definitely wasn't his brother. Raph glanced up to see Leo looking down at him.

"What do you want?" Raph asked cautiously. He wouldn't put it past Donnie to send Leo in to do his dirty work for him.

"To talk," Leo knelt on the ground. He grabbed the sai that Raph had tossed aside and then pulled out the other sai. Leo took the pair and placed them in front of Raph, just in case he wanted them. "Or to listen, depending on what you want.

Raph wasn't in the mood for talking or listening to anything, which was why he didn't want to be with his brother right now. However, looking at the state that Leo was in, the way that he was obviously favoring his arm, Raph knew that he couldn't just push him away. "Slash did a number on you, didn't he?" Raph gestured for Leo to give him his arm. Leo didn't hesitate for a second before putting himself just in front of Raph.

"I think he did a worse number on you," Leo said. Raph scowled as he took Leo's arm in his hands. He got a firm grip and, without giving a word of warning, he relocated the hurt shoulder. Leo let out a short cry of pain, and Raph knew just how much it had hurt as he'd dislocated his shoulders a couple of times. Still, a moment of pain was worlds better than letting the shoulder remain injured.

"Is that better?" Raph asked. He was fairly confident that he'd done a good job, but the best way to tell if an injury was getting better was to either ask a professional, which he wasn't, or ask the injured one directly.

Leo flinched and rolled his shoulder slightly. "...Actually, yeah, thanks." Raph nodded and the two of them settled into a comfortable silence for a few minutes. It was nice, but Raph knew that it couldn't last, so he decided to take the plunge himself.

"What are you doing here?" Raph asked. Leo had made it clear that he didn't really like him, and that was just fine. If Leo had just changed his mind because he felt sorry for him, then Raph wouldn't hesitate to kick him back over to the other side of the water wall.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay," Leo said. "I heard everything that Slash said to you. It was cruel."

"That's just how he is," Raph said. He was just so tired of everything.

"But he's the reason why you were questioning your brother back there," Leo said. It wasn't a question. Leo had heard everything. Raph hated being such an open book to someone he barely knew. "I'm sure you already know this, but Slash is wrong, about everything."

Raph wanted to agree with him. He wanted to say that Slash knew nothing about him, but the mutant's words were ringing in his head. "I just don't get it," He said weakly. "Why would Donnie insist on staying with me when he knew that he'd be better off if he left?"

"Because your brothers," Leo said simply.

"Blood doesn't mean anything." Raph scoffed. It was something that Slash had told him a long time ago, and Raph actually agreed with him, because after what he'd been through, it was a little hard to argue against. "If it did, our parents…" Raph shut his mouth as he remembered just who he was talking to. This wasn't his brother, or an old friend, it was someone who was basically a stranger. A _mortal_ at that.

Leo gave him a sad, but not quite pitying, look. "What did your parents do?"

Raph glared at his sais, just because they were there. He was reluctant to say anything, but what did he have to lose at this point? "They threw us away." He said quietly. It was the first time he had spoken about this with someone that wasn't Slash or Donnie. Slash had never hesitated to use this information against him to try to break him down, but Raph doubted he'd ever let Leo do that with him. He'd been close to Slash, he'd cared about what he said. Raph didn't care about Leo's opinion, which was exactly why he thought he could talk about this with him.

"We didn't do anything wrong," Raph said stiffly. "But they took one look at us, saw that we didn't…" Raph swallowed thickly. He reminded himself of what Leo and Mikey had told them earlier, about having a good friend who was like them. If anyone wouldn't judge them, it was these mortals. "...That we didn't have those stupid tattoos."

He could hear Leo's breath catch slightly. "Just because of that?"

Raph lifted his glare towards Leo. "You guys are the ones that said that those things are important to a lot of people. There's no just about it."

"No, I know, but still," Leo frowned. "I can't imagine being so mean just because something that is really important to me isn't as important to someone else,"

Raph gave Leo an unamused look. "In all the time I've known you, the only thing you've really said to me is that I need to help you return your precious Heart of Miwa to her, just because it's what _you_ want." Raph smirked slightly as Leo seemed to shrink under his look. "You don't really care about what I want."

"Alright, fair point," Leo conceded. "But I think I am actually starting to care about what you want, at least a little bit." Raph was shocked by that. He didn't blame Leo for being passionate about wanting to save the world, he just didn't like how he was pulling him into it. Raph honestly hadn't expected Leo to back off.

"What do you think I want then?" Raph asked, because Leo couldn't really care unless he knew and understood what he wanted and needed from life.

"From what I can tell, respect," Leo said. "From the mortals who have no idea all you've done for them. From the gods who abandoned you. From your brother, who you doubt actually sees you as an equal, but as either a burden or someone who has to be taken care of" Raph flinched and scowled slightly. Leo hadn't just heard everything that Slash had said, he was observant too.

"So many people just think that you and your brother are nuisances or even villains," Leo continued. He was completely ruthless. "They think you've doomed the world." Raph could easily see where Leo was going with this. "You know how I think you can prove everyone wrong?"

"Let me guess," Raph scowled. "By returning the Heart of Miwa,"

"Nobody would be able to deny what you've done for both the mortals and the gods," Leo said passionately. "Everybody makes mistakes, but not everybody is willing or able to make things right. You have the power, and I know you guys have the will,"

Raph knew that Leo was probably right. In the past they'd been heralded as heroes by the heroes and the gods. If they returned the Heart of Miwa, the same would probably be true again. It was a tempting offer, but still way too dangerous to take it lightly.

Raph didn't say anything, but Leo didn't seem to have expected him to. "Just think about it," Leo got to his feet. "Take however much time you need. I'll talk to Donnie," And that was all Raph could ask from him. He watched numbly as the water wall opened up for Leo to walk through before closing again, leaving Raph alone again.

It was times like this that Raph felt overwhelmed by the presence of all other creatures. He sometimes just wanted everything and everybody to go away and stop demanding things from him. Raph was well aware that he'd messed up, he wasn't going to deny that, but he'd been screwed over more than a couple of times. He'd been really hurt, and yet everybody was demanding that he do better.

Raph wasn't the only one at fault here. He wasn't the only one with issues. Why should he have to be the one to fix everything and make it all right? For once, why couldn't that just be someone else's responsibility?


	15. Chapter 15

Donnie clutched his staff tightly as he stared at the wall of water in front of him. He desperately wanted to talk to his brother, or at least see him, but the ocean wouldn't allow that. Donnie was really starting to hate the sea. It had abandoned Raph, and then started mistreating him, and now it was cooperating with Raph and protecting him from the rest of the world. Donnie hated how unpredictable the ocean was.

Donnie wanted to be pleased that the ocean was starting to accept Raph again and be on his side, but he couldn't. The sea may be siding with Raph, but it was siding with him against Donnie. He understood that Raph was upset, and he had every right to be, but Donnie didn't think that it was healthy for Raph to just try to shut things out like this. And the ocean especially shouldn't be enabling this behavior. It was just extremely frustrating.

"Hey, Donnie, are you okay?" Mikey asked. Donnie turned away from the water barrier to look towards his new friend. While they were waiting for Raph to calm down, they'd just be sitting on the boat. Mikey had been talking quietly with Leatherhead, who was resting in the ocean. After Leo had returned from talking to Raph, he'd joined them at the edge of the boat, leaving Donnie on his own to worry about Raph. Leo and Mikey had been respecting Donnie's space, but it seemed like Mikey could only keep quiet about his concern for so long.

I'll be fine as soon as I know that Raph's okay," Donnie said. He looked at Leo. "How is he doing?"

"Raph's fine," Leo said, not for the first time since he had returned. He just needs a little bit of time,"

"I know," Donnie said. He just wasn't happy about it. Donnie looked back towards the water wall that Raph was hiding behind. "I just don't know what I can do to help him right now."

Leo shifted uncomfortably. "Look, I don't know Raph as well as you do, but I don't think he actually needs help, just support."

Donnie shook his head. "Raph would consider support to be help,"

"Maybe you can support him without him knowing," Mikey suggested. Leo looked slightly annoyed at his brother. Donnie didn't think that Mikey's idea was a bad one, it just wasn't something that he thought would work right now.

"I used to do that all the time," Donnie said quietly. He felt the wind blow gently at his hair. Me and Raph used to fight all the time on that island. When we fought, Raph needed space from me, but I couldn't just abandon him," They'd been left by everybody. The last thing that Donnie ever wanted to do was to hurt his brother the way their parents and the gods had hurt them. He knew that Raph felt the same way, so Donnie just didn't understand why his brother would actually expect him to leave him.

Donnie looked up into the sky and saw some birds flying around the island. "I knew that going after Raph when he was mad at me could have just made things worse. I knew that Raph had always been more willing to open up to animals, I guess because he wouldn't have to worry about being judged, so I started trying to transform using just my own staff and powers."

Leo's eyes widened. "That's why you learned how to transform? So you could become an animal and comfort your brother without him even realizing it?"

Donnie nodded. Maybe he could have done things differently, but Donnie didn't regret a thing. He'd done what he thought was best for his brother, he would never regret that, even if Raph seemed to think that he should.

A moment later the ocean wall seemed to separate slightly, opening a window. Donnie tensed and held his breath slightly when he saw Raph sitting on the beach. Raph was tense, but nowhere near as much as he had been before. The two of them stared at each other for a moment before Raph patted the sand next to him. Donnie took this as an invitation.

He practically jumped off the boat and rushed towards the hole in the water barrier. He half expected it to close around him or push him back, but the water left him alone. The sea was letting him in, and Donnie hoped this meant that Raph was willing to open up to him.

Donnie sat down on the beach next to his brother, far enough away to give him space, but close enough to let Raph know that he was there for him. Donnie noticed the water barrier close again, blocking them off from the others and giving them some privacy.

"It looks like the sea is back on your side," Donnie commented. Raph scoffed.

"More like it thinks it has me on its side again." Raph sighed, sounding exhausted. "It's so demanding, and half the time I don't even know what it wants."

Donnie had a fairly good idea of what the ocean wanted from Raph right now. It seemed pretty set on helping Mikey and Leo return the Heart of Miwa to the goddess. Donnie was still on the fence about this idea, but he knew that Raph was almost completely against it. If the ocean thought that Raph could help it, then it must have thought that Raph was beginning to change his mind. Donnie would normally be relieved about Raph being more open to returning the Heart of Miwa, but he couldn't help but be concerned.

"You're not planning on helping them return the Heart just because it could get you back in the ocean's favor, are you?" Donnie asked cautiously. Raph shook his head.

"It's not just the ocean," Raph said. "I don't want us to be the villains to the mortals, and I definitely don't want to be the gods' punching bags." Raph glanced at his brother. "You deserve better than that...we both do,"

Donnie was relieved to hear his brother say that. "I just don't want you to do something you don't want to do just because you think it's what the ocean wants," Donnie grimaced. "Or something that I want."

Raph raised an eyebrow at him. "You do things for my sake all the time...like spending fifty years relearning how to turn into a bird just to keep me company when I was too hard headed to want to listen to you."

Donnie looked at his brother in slight surprise. This wasn't the reaction he had expected from Raph when he found out what he'd been doing this whole time. Donnie had thought that Raph would react with defensive anger to hide his embarrassment. This calmness from Raph was odd to say the very least.

Raph scowled and twirled his sais around in his hand. It felt good to see Raph holding his weapons again. Things were still far from being okay, but Donnie hoped this was a sight that things would at least get better.

"You were right. I really shouldn't have confronted Slash on my own," Raph frowned, looking way too vulnerable for Donnie's liking. "I let him get to me,"

"You didn't _let_ Slash do anything," Donnie said firmly. He hadn't heard most of what Slash had said, but he didn't have to. He knew Slash, and he knew his brother. He'd seen all of this before, and just like last time, it wasn't Raph's fault. Even if Raph could have responded better, Donnie still didn't think he was to blame. As far as Donnie was concerned, no matter what Raph did, it wasn't ever his fault if he got hurt.

Raph looked at him. "I want to believe you, really I do, but Slash has always been able to get under my skin." Donnie knew that much.

"Well, who do you believe more?" Donnie asked. Raph smirked slightly and nudged Donnie.

"I definitely trust you more," Raph said, and there wasn't even a trace of doubt in his tone. "It's just hard, you know?"

Donnie flinched and rubbed his arm, right where he thought his tattoo-like birthmark would be if he'd been born with one. "Yeah, I know," No matter how many times Raph told him that they didn't need any destiny marks on their skin, Donnie latched much more to the few criticisms he heard about it. The negative just always seemed to be so much louder than the positive.

Raph stared at Donnie quietly for a moment before he let out a short self-deprecating laugh. "We're seriously a mess, you know that?"

"A complete disaster," Donnie agreed. "I feel like I don't know what I'm doing half the time, and the other half the time I end up either doing the wrong thing, or hurting you."

"But you never thought about leaving me," Raph said quietly. He started to draw a pattern in the sand with one of his sais. "Did you?"

"It never even crossed my mind," Donnie confirmed. "You never thought of leaving me either."

"Of course not," Raph scoffed. "You're my brother." Donnie raised an eyebrow at Raph, whose face went slightly red in embarrassment. "Shut up," At least Raph realized that he was saying the exact thing that he'd gotten mad at Donnie for saying.

"Being brothers is a two-way street," Donnie said. "And it's not an obligation because of blood. It's love, and friendship, and loyalty from knowing each other for five hundred years and going through all that we've been through."

"I know," Raph sighed. "I just don't want you to feel like you're stuck with me,"

"I'm not stuck with anything," Donnie said. "I _want_ to be here, and I want to be with you. There's really no one else I'd rather be with."

"That's just 'cause you're such a loner, you don't know anybody else," Raph said, but his smirk and tone said that he appreciated what Donnie was saying a lot more than he would ever dare to say. Donnie knew that Raph still didn't completely believe him, but at least he was willing to listen to him. Donnie knew it would take time for Raph to really take anything that he had to say to heart, but he didn't mind putting in the time and effort. Donnie would spend his whole life telling Raph that he was worth it if that was what it took.

Raph was quiet for a long time. He seemed to have something on his mind, and he just wasn't sure how to say it. Donnie waited. He didn't want to rush his brother. Finally Raph spoke up, though he was still quiet and hesitant. "How did you manage to transform on your own? I couldn't even get some water to splash for me earlier."

"So you're a little rusty," Donnie shrugged. "You'll get the hang of it again. Especially if the ocean is happy with you again." Donnie sighed. "As for transforming, it took a long time to figure out. The key was that I used to think that the gods gave us these powers to be this way so we wouldn't be too strong,"

"I remember," Raph said. "You don't think that was it?"

"Not exactly," Donnie said. "I think it's just because we've always been at our strongest when we're with each other. We make each other stronger, and the transforming is just one way that is."

Raph looked at him in disbelief. "Do you have any idea how cheesy you sound?"

Donnie chuckled. "Yeah, I know, but do you have a better explanation?"

"You've always been better at coming up with explanations than me," Raph said. "But if you're right, how come I couldn't do anything when I tried to transform? It's not like I stopped caring about you when I tried it, and I even had both my sais and your staff, so why couldn't it work?"

"Remember, it still took me a long time to figure out," Donnie said. "Just because something is possible doesn't mean that's an immediate guarantee. But I figured it out with time, I'm sure you will too."

"...But what if I don't?" Raph looked terrified. "What if my powers are just gone...for good?"

"I'm sure they're not," Donnie said. "But _if_ they are, well, I don't know if this is what you want to hear, but I don't care. I love my brother, not the demigod of the sea." This wasn't the first time that Donnie had said something along these lines. He enjoyed being a demigod, and he appreciated everything that the gods had done for them, but he didn't revolve his life around it.

Raph was scared though, worried that he wasn't good enough, and Donnie wanted to ease his concerns. He stood up and held a hand out to Raph. "Let's give this another try, then,"

Raph stared at him like he was crazy. "I just barely told you, it didn't work."

"I wasn't with you before," Donnie said. And Raph hadn't been positive that Donnie had his back in everything. "Just give it another try."

Raph looked incredibly uncertain, but he took Donnie's hand anyways. Once they were both standing, Donnie kept a grip on Raph's hand. With his other hand Donnie held out his staff. Raph frowned slightly, but he took one of his sais and slowly put it on top of the staff. Donnie felt the power going through their weapons, and he knew that Raph could feel it too.

"You can do this," Donnie said. "Let's start with an easy one." While they could both transform, they could only become animals that went with their element. As the demigod of the wind, could only turn into animals that flew, while Raph, the demigod of the sea, could turn into any water animal. While they used to not have any trouble shape shifting into whatever animal they were able to, both Donnie and Raph had a much easier time turning into animals that were both of the wind and the sea.

Donnie closed his eyes and focused on his brother's presence. He squeezed Raph's hand and both of them clung to their trident. The breeze picked up around them and the tide rose. Their elements were responding to them trying to use their powers like this. Donnie couldn't remember the last time the ocean and wind had done this.

The power between them strengthened and all of a sudden Donnie felt the shift happen. He no longer had the form of a human, but that of a bird. A pelican.

Donnie immediately opened his eyes and looked towards his brother. He felt relieved and proud when he saw another pelican where his brother had stood. Though there were differences between them, with Raph's webbed feet being noticeably larger while Donnie had longer wings, he knew from past experience that they still looked incredibly similar to each other right now

Raph's eyes were closed tightly. He seemed to be afraid to open them. Donnie nuzzled against his brother's feathers. Raph reluctantly opened his eyes slightly, but a moment later his eyes shot wide open when he saw he saw his form. Raph spread his wings wide and just stared at them. Even though he was a pelican, Donnie could see that his brother was ecstatic.

Raph stood tall and flapped his wings aggressively. They both knew that Raph couldn't fly, it was something he'd never been able to get the hang of, he was just giving his form a try. Raph was proud, and he had every right to be.

Donnie stretched slightly and nudged his brother. Raph looked at him in excitement, as excited as a pelican could be. Flapping his wings more, Raph made his way into the ocean and sat on the surface of the water. Raph had always felt closest to the water and his powers when he was resting on it like this. Donnie felt the same way when he was gliding through the air as a bird.

The water barrier that had been surrounding the island eased down and the ocean went back to normal. It no longer felt the need to block things out for Raph's sake, because Raph no longer felt threatened by the world. Raph now had reason to believe that he had access to his powers. He wasn't powerless or helpless, so he felt ready to take on the world.

Donnie thought that Raph would want to stay in this form for quite some time. It had been so long since Raph had felt in control of anything, and Donnie wanted Raph to enjoy for as long as he needed to. However, Raph only rested on the water for a minute before he turned back into his human form. Donnie didn't wait a moment before following his lead.

"Are you alright?" Donnie asked. Raph was still standing in the water.

"Alright?" Raph laughed and turned towards him, smiling more broadly than Donnie had seen in five hundred years. "I can still transform! I'm great!" Raph closed his eyes and bent down, putting his hands in the water. "I can't remember the last time I felt so connected to the ocean," Raph opened his eyes and looked at Donnie. "Or you,"

"It _has_ been awhile since we've actually combined powers like that," Donnie pointed out. He took their trident and joined Raph in the water. Donnie held the trident out to him and Raph wrapped his hand around it. For a moment the two of them just held onto it together. They both felt each other's power coursing through their weapon.

"So...the Heart of Miwa," Raph said slowly. Donnie looked at his brother, but Raph's eyes were on the small boat where Mikey and Leo were pretending to not notice them. "I think...maybe we should help them out,"

Donnie didn't know how he felt about that. "Are you sure?"

"No," Raph sighed. "But I am sure that if we don't go, those two idiots _will_ get themselves killed, if not by the ocean, then by Karai."

Raph had a point. Leo and Mikey practically knew nothing about sailing, and it had already almost got them killed. They also didn't really know just what they were going up against. Karai wasn't a powerful mutant or yokai, she was a goddess. Neither of the mortals would have a clue about how to deal with her, and even if they did they would still probably get killed or seriously hurt before they even had the chance to try.

"Besides, I don't want the world to die any more than the next demigod," Raph looked at Donnie, who just stared right back at him. "I want to help, and I swear it's not just because the ocean, or the mortals, or you want me to do it."

"Yeah, I know," Donnie looked towards their new friends. When he made eye contact with Mikey, the boy grinned and waved enthusiastically at him. Mikey really was a nice kid, and so was his brother. Donnie didn't want anything to happen to them either. He sighed. "Okay, we'll help them out,"

Raph gave him a small, uncertain smile. "Just maybe not quite yet. I still don't know just how much control of my powers I have right now. It would be suicide to try to fight a goddess when I don't even know what what I can do," Donnie had never been more relieved to hear that Raph was actually thinking things through.

"It might also help if Leo or Mikey actually knew what they were doing on that boat," Donnie said. If either he or Raph had to stay on the boat at all times to make sure that it didn't capsize, they would half their chances against Karai.

"Then let's get started," Raph smirked, sounding more confident than Donnie felt. They both felt like they were doing what was right, and even what was necessary, but Donnie at least was worried that this was a stupid and reckless idea that would ultimately end up being a mistake.

Donnie just hoped that this wouldn't be the last stupid mistake they ever made.


	16. Chapter 16

Mikey grinned excitedly as Donnie and Raph came back to the ship. They'd been so upset after they left the Hidden City, and even before that they'd both seemed so tense. This was the first time since they had met the demigods that Mikey had seen them both look actually relaxed. They were happy, and Mikey was happy for them.

"At least Raph can still transform," Leo looked extremely relieved. Mikey frowned slightly at his brother.

"Raph is worth more than his powers," Mikey reminded his brother. Leo nodded.

"Oh, I know," Leo agreed immediately, which Mikey hadn't expected. Leo wasn't exactly Raph's biggest fan, and he'd made that much perfectly clear, but he was still happy for him. "Raph was really doubting himself though, and his brother. Nobody should have to feel like that." Mikey was pretty sure that whatever issues Raph had, they wouldn't go away just because he had his powers. But Raph seemed so happy, and both Leo and Donnie were happy for him. Who was Mikey to rain on their parade?

"Hey, guys," Raph said as he rested his elbows on the wood, staying in the ocean. He was actually grinning. It was strange to see, but also really nice. "Me and Donnie have come to a decision,"

"You have?" Mikey frowned slightly. He hadn't even known that there was a choice to be made.

Donnie didn't look nearly as excited as Raph was, but he didn't seem reluctant either. "We're going to help you guys return the Heart of Miwa,"

Mikey and Leo stared at the demigods in shock. Neither of them knew what to say for a long moment. Leo was the one to break the silence. "...Uh, are you sure?"

"We're sure," Raph said, and he was not the one that Mikey had expected to say so confidently. "We don't want the world to die any more than the next guy,"

"But we have to be smart about this," Donnie looked at them all critically. He pulled himself onto the boat "Raph wants to be more familiar with his powers, and I want to be sure that at least one of you is somewhat competent as a sailor," Mikey and Leo both knew that they could barely be considered sailors at all, but Leo still seemed insulted. Leo had always felt drawn to the ocean. Mikey knew his brother well enough to know that it really hurt him to know that he really couldn't sail.

"How 'bout you teach Leo?" Mikey suggested to Donnie. "Me and Leatherhead can help Raph train," Mikey didn't exactly dedicate hours to training and improving his senses the way that Leo did, but he wasn't completely helpless. At the very least, Mikey thought he had at least a couple of insights that might help Raph. Mikey didn't know for sure exactly how Raph and Donnie's powers worked, but he had an idea that was at least worth a try.

"Sounds okay to me," Donnie looked at Raph, who nodded in agreement. Donnie took his staff and handed it to Raph, who gripped it in one hand and held his sais in the other.

Leo gave Mikey an appreciative grin. This meant a lot to him. Mikey nodded at his brother in acknowledgement and jumped off the boat, right into the water just in front of Raph, splashing him. Raph scowled in slight irritation and pushed some water towards Mikey in retaliation. It wasn't an extremely large splash, but it hit Mikey with a lot more force than he had thought possible. If Mikey hadn't already seen Raph transform into a pelican, he would still know he still had his powers, because there was too much power in that splash for the ocean to not be assisting.

Before Mikey could recover from Raph's little revenge, the demigod grabbed his arm and pulled him to the shore. "Stop messing around. We've got stuff to do," Raph's voice was stern, but he was smirking. He was having fun, even if he was trying to act like he wasn't.

"How do we start?" Mikey asked. He could hear Leatherhead growling slightly behind him. Mikey pet Leatherhead to sooth him. His new friend was really protective, but Mikey didn't want him to attack Raph, not even in a way that wouldn't hurt him, like what he'd done with Donnie earlier. Raph didn't strike Mikey as the type of person who would be okay with a stranger getting all in his face.

"I guess I can try to control the water again," Raph shrugged and twirled his sais. Leatherhead stopped growling and stared at the weapons in surprise.

"Slash's sais," Leatherhead frowned slightly. "Is that why he was mad at you?"

Raph scowled. "They're _my_ sais. I didn't steal them from Slash, I took them back after he took them from me."

"Donnie told you that the sais Slash found belonged to his brother," Mikey reminded Leatherhead. "Raph is that brother,"

Leatherhead continued to stare at Raph like he was trying to study him. "Slash has always been angry, but I've never seen him so mad that he wants to harm a human and a changeling,"

Raph crossed his arms defensively. "Demigod shapeshifter. Not a changeling," At Mikey's questioning glance Raph clarified. "Changelings are a type of yokai that can change their appearance." Mikey didn't understand why Raph was being so defensive about what kind of shapeshifter he was. Raph had already made it clear that he didn't really see anything wrong with being a yokai, so why did the details suddenly matter to him?

"I've never met a godling before," Leatherhead stepped closer to Raph and sniffed him slightly. "You smell like a mortal,"

"I'm _not_ a godling," Raph growled and clenched his fists around his sais. "And I'm not a mortal either,"

"Leatherhead never said you were," Mikey stepped between them before anything could happen. "You just look a lot like normal humans, and you used to be one too, right?" Raph didn't look any happier, but he nodded.

"Yeah, whatever," Raph turned away from Slash, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. He put one of his sais at his belt and put his other one at the top of Donnie's staff. Mikey grinned in excitement when he saw the trident. Growing up he'd loved hearing about the powerful demigods. He'd known that Raph and Donnie were those demigods, but seeing their legendary trident and feeling the power coming through it, it really hit him that he was looking at one of the mischievous demigods that he'd loved hearing about as a kid.

Mikey could feel the power that Raph was building up, but nothing happened. The ocean was still, and Raph's appearance didn't change. Raph kept trying for a minute, longer than Mikey had expected, but finally his impatience got the best of him. Raph shouted in frustration and dropped his arms, though he still kept a grip on his weapons.

"I don't get it," Raph scowled in frustration. "I just barely did this. Why can't I get this?"

"What's different now?" Mikey asked. He wanted to help, even if he didn't know how to do it.

"I did it with Donnie earlier," Raph frowned. "But I don't want to have to rely on him all the time."

"Yeah, I'd get tired of that too," Mikey nodded. "Could you feel a difference though?"

Raph's frown became more thoughtful. "I guess...I felt really connected to my brother, and to the ocean,"

Connection...Mikey thought he knew what he could do with that. "Maybe it's that connection that you need to focus on. I mean, I know it's what I would do if I could turn into an animal."

"What do you mean?" Raph asked.

"I mean, everything and everyone in this world is connected," Mikey leaned his head back and spread his arms wide. All the animals, they're all part of a big ecosystem. You know, the whole circle of life thing?"

"Uh, you're going to have to remind me," Raph said. Mikey was more than happy to.

"Well, some animals get their energy from eating plants," Mikey started. Raph nodded, indicating that he was following so far. "Predators get their energy by eating the prey, but when animals die, their bodies end up fertilizing the ground, feeding into the plants that the prey get their energy from. It's a cycle, you know? Everybody takes from the Earth, but everybody also gives back to it. That's how nature works."

"...That's cool," Raph nodded. "I mean, I kinda knew that stuff, but I never really thought about it,"

"It's pretty awesome, isn't it?" Mikey grinned. "There's lots of connections like that in nature, even with things that you didn't think would work together. Like, everyone knows that fire can burn plants, but did you know that a fire can actually help plants grow stronger than ever?"

Raph scowled. "How does that even work?"

"It's similar to how plants can get energy from dead animals." Mikey said. "The plant ashes seep into the earth, giving the dirt lots of nutrients. When things start to grow again, all that extra energy goes into the plants, and they grow back bigger and stronger than before."

"Wow...but how does that help me?" Raph asked. He wasn't being critical of Mikey's advice, he just genuinely wanted to know how he could use it to help himself.

"I might be wrong about this, but I think that as demigods you and Donnie are connected to all of nature, not just the sea and the air." Mikey said. "Like, yeah, you can only control the water, but the ocean isn't just the ocean, it influences and is influenced by so many other things in the world. Same with the air."

Raph hummed slightly. "You mean, like how the air gets moisture from the sea, and then brings rain and storms to the land, making plants grow."

"And those plants can make oxygen, which is air," Mikey said. "And air is the thing that brushes against the ocean surface, causing waves and currents in the water." Mikey grinned broadly. "Everything's connected."

Raph considered Mikey's words for a long moment. "...So me and Donnie were just deluding ourselves when we thought that we only needed each other,"

"You do need each other," Mikey said. "I'm not saying you have to be any less important to each other, but you two could be so much more if you let others be part of your little cycle too."

"Yeah, I'm starting to realize that," Raph sounded exhausted. He was getting to the point where he could accept that the world wasn't out to get him, but only because he'd been torn down so much that Raph couldn't see any other choice.

"This doesn't have to be a bad thing," Mikey assured him. There was nothing wrong with trusting others. "You trust me, right?"

Raph chuckled, "Yeah, I guess I do,"

"If it's a connection we need to work on, I think I know how we can start," Mikey grabbed Raph's hand and pulled him a few feet down the beach to a place where there were some plants and greenery near the water. "Whenever I want to feel closer to nature, I find a place where I can feel the warmth of the sun, feel the ocean breeze, and be close to the plants. I just sit and feel, take it all in."

Raph didn't look completely confident, but when Mikey sat down on the sand, Raph sat down across from him. Mikey closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He felt Leatherhead come up from behind and curl up around him. Mikey heard Raph sigh and shift slightly. Neither of them knew for sure if this would work for Raph, but it was at least worth a try. If it didn't work, they would find something else. For right now though, they would just sit there. Even if Mikey's plan didn't work, they could at least sit here and relax, enjoy themselves for a little bit, even if it was just for a few minutes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a shorter chapter, but believe it or not it's actually a really important one. At first I was wondering why it was so much shorter than all the other chapters, but then I remembered that when I was originally planning this chapter out I was planning on including Donnie and Leo doing sailing and talking about some things, except everything that they would have talked about (Donnie and Raph's parents, Donnie's feelings about their tense relationship) were things that have already been talked about in previous chapters. I mean, I know that Mikey has already talked about the whole plants becoming stronger from fire thing, but for what I have planned it's really important that I had him say it to Raph.


	17. Chapter 17

When Raph and Donnie had first gone after the Heart of Miwa, it hadn't just been a decision they'd made on a whim. It had taken them many years to even find her. They followed a lot of leads and assumptions from any immortals that they came across. Most of them were dead ends, but they were both far too stubborn to just give up. With Raph's willingness to resort to questionable means to get what he wanted, and Donnie's deductive reasoning, they'd been able to find the Heart of Miwa.

This time, they couldn't quite rely on that method. For one thing, the gods didn't trust Raph and Donnie anymore. They wouldn't tell them just where they could find Miwa. For another thing they didn't exactly have the years that they'd had five hundred years ago.

While time and the gods weren't on their side, Raph knew that the ocean and the air definitely were. Like Mikey had told him, all of the elements of the earth were connected. If the land died, it would negatively affect the ocean, which would then in turn affect the air. The ocean and air had made it clear that they wanted to return the Heart of Miwa, so they were trusting the elements to guide them in a similar way that they had brought them to The Hidden City.

As the ocean carried their boat and the air guided them Raph took the time while they travelled to gather himself. He wanted to be ready to face Karai and give the others the chance to return the Heart to Miwa. Raph had no idea just when they'd get to the destination, so he had to be ready at any given moment.

Though he'd doubted Mikey's meditation strategy, it had actually worked a lot better than Raph thought it would. It hadn't been perfect, as Raph had only been able to transform successfully three out of four times, and on his own he could only transform into an animal that lived solely in the ocean. He couldn't transform into an animal that lived both in the sea and on the land, such as frogs and turtles, and without Donnie's help he couldn't turn into a water bird. Still, Raph felt far too relieved that he could transform at all to complain that it wasn't perfect.

Since Mikey's idea had worked better than anything Raph had tried to come up with, he decided to give it another try. While Leo handled the sails and Donnie supervised him, and Mikey talked quietly with Leatherhead, Raph sat at the edge of the small boat and hung his feet over the side. He had Donnie's staff at his side and his own sais on his lap. Raph didn't really do anything, he just sat there and took in the ocean and the wind for awhile.

When Raph began to get impatient he picked up his sais and twirled them around. He familiarized himself with just the feel of his sais again before he took a deep breath and tightened his grip on his weapons.

"I'm doing the best I can here," Raph muttered quietly. "But I don't think my best is good enough. I'm going to help you, but I need you to help me do that," The water warmed around his feet. It was as much of an answer as he would get. Raph took his sai and slashed it in the air. To Raph's relief he saw a streak of water rise up out of the sea and follow the motion of his sai. Finally, after five hundred years, the ocean wasn't ignoring him, and it wasn't just helping him out. The ocean was doing what he said. It was letting him control it.

Raph grinned to himself and made a raising motion with both of his sais, pulling the water out of the sea. He pushed his sais out sharply, pushing the water forward in a wave. "This is more like it," Raph lowered his arms. "...Thank you,"

Raph continued to work with the ocean and his powers for awhile before he decided to turn his attention to transformation. He took Donnie's staff and put it with his sai. He felt the rush of power immediately. Raph manifested his powers and, at the first try, he was able to transform into a skipjack tuna and jump into the water. He swam around for a bit, getting used to swimming again, before he decided to move onto another animal. Skipjack tuna were medium sized fish, so Raph decided to try another fish, a larger one. He harnessed his powers and turned into a large fish, a blue marlin.

Suddenly being in a larger, different body, it took Raph a minute to adjust. He swam around for a few minutes as a blue marlin before he got the hang of it. Once he felt confident as this type of fish, Raph turned back into a skipjack tuna. If he was going to be taking on Karai, he had to be able to transform and immediately get back into the fight. He couldn't afford an adjustment period. Once he was comfortable with switching between these two fish, Raph would add another animal into his cycle.

It took longer than Raph would have liked, but finally he was able to switch seamlessly between the two fish. To give himself more of a challenge, Raph decided to try something that wasn't a fish. He turned into a small squid. The transformation was disorienting, and Raph wasn't able to adjust immediately, but the adjustment period was a lot faster than before.

After switching between animals for awhile, Raph decided to try a sea animal that breathed air. It would be a step in the right direction if he could accomplish it. Raph swam up to the surface of the water, right near the boat, and just before he reached the surface he transformed into a dolphin and leapt out of the ocean. He heard ecstatic laughing from Donnie. Raph thought of another way to challenge himself, by turning into an animal that breathed air, lived in the ocean, but regularly came onto land. It was one of just a few animals that Raph considered to be part of the ocean, land, and air.

Focusing all of his energy, Raph tried to transform. At first, nothing happened. This wasn't the first time he hadn't been able to transform immediately though. Raph just tried again. It took a couple of attempts and more energy than his other transformations had needed, but Raph was able to transform into a sea lion.

Feeling drained, Raph poked his head out of the surface of the water near the boat. He was ready for a break. Raph drew back under the water just enough to have enough space to swim up and leap out of the water. Because he was tired though, he didn't get going as fast as he had planned, so he only partially jumped out of the water. Instead of jumping onto the boat, Raph just landed half on it and half in the water. Growling to himself, Raph pulled himself onto the boat and laid down on the deck.

Donnie smiled gently and sat down next to Raph. He put a hand on his head. "And here you thought that you wouldn't be able to access your powers," Donnie's words were teasing, but he sounded as relieved and thrilled as Raph felt. "Your jumping could use some work though,"

Raph grumbled and transformed back into a human. "Shut up, I'm tired,"

"Get some rest," Donnie said. "We need to be ready for when we get to Miwa."

"Speaking of being ready," Mikey spoke up. "What's the game plan?"

"Simple," Donnie said. "Me and Raph will take care of Karai if she's still in the area. Leo will bring the boat to Miwa's island, the two of you will return the Heart, and Leatherhead will have your back,"

"Is that really something we need to go over?" Raph grumbled. "I thought it was obvious,"

"It's still good to make sure we're all on the same page," Leo said as he adjusted his grip on the sail ropes. "If any of us had a different idea of what to do, even if the change was just little, everything could fall apart."

"Yeah, whatever," Raph crossed his arms and rested his head against them. He closed his eyes. "Wake me up when we're about to get killed by a lava snake goddess."

"Hopefully we'll see trouble coming before it gets that far," Donnie said. "But don't worry, I won't let you miss out on all the fun,"

"Tha's good," Raph muttered. He relaxed and began to doze off. He didn't know if he would be able to fall asleep, or if he should, but at least resting his eyes would really help.

Raph felt really calm and was just about to fall asleep before he felt cold water crash on top of him. Raph gasped and sat up quickly. He glared out at the ocean. "Really? I thought we were past this. What was that all about?"

"Raph," He felt Donnie poke his arm. Raph turned towards where his brother was indicating and his eyes widened at what he saw. "Wow...I guess we're here," The sky in front of them was dark, but not with storm clouds. That was smoke.

"Karai," Donnie's expression darkened. He was as determined as Raph was.

"This is happening," Mikey said breathlessly. He and Leo both looked overwhelmed and terrified. This was probably the first time either of them had been this close to a dangerous goddess. "This is really happening,"

"You guys stay here," Raph stood up. He grabbed his and Donnie's weapon, which was still in the form of a trident, and offered it to his brother. "Karai's probably in the middle of that mess. I'll distract her, Donnie can fly up and find a way for you to get through to find Miwa. Hopefully, you guys won't be anywhere near Kawai,"

"Once I help them get to Miwa, I'll come back and help you deal with Karai," Donnie promised as he put a hand on the staff. "Don't completely destroy her before I get there,"

"Wouldn't dream of it," Raph smirked. He and Donnie both accessed their powers, and each other's powers, and transformed. Donnie turned into an agile falcon and flew off while Raph turned into a sailfish and dove into the water. Even underwater, Raph knew where he would find Karai. He didn't need to see smoke to feel her power.

As Raph swam closer, he could feel the water heating up to an uncomfortable temperature. The lava goddess was definitely around. Raph continued swimming until the heat nearly became too much to bare. He swam closer to the surface and peeked above the surface. He didn't think that a goddess of lava would be hanging out underwater.

Though Raph barely came out of the water, he immediately had to duck down again to avoid being hit by a ball of fire being thrown his way. Raph growled in excitement and swam around in a circle before heading straight to where Karai's attack had come from. He was ready for this.

' _I hope you're ready for this, Karai,'_ Raph swam forward until he found Karai's form and he immediately tackled her. He heard her shriek in pain. ' _I'm going to make you regret ever messing with me,'_

Raph transformed into a giant pacific octopus and wrapped his tentacles around Karai. Before she could so much as think about resisting, he pulled her down into the water. Raph began swimming down, keeping a tight grip around the struggling goddess, keeping her restrained. She was slippery and didn't give up easily, but the water helped Raph to hold Karai down.

A little later, much sooner than Raph had expected, a bird dove down quickly into the water near them. When the bird got about as deep as they were, it transformed into Donnie's normal human form. Donnie looked scared about something, which scared Raph. Something was wrong. Donnie gestured up to the surface before making his way up.

' _Take care of her for a second,'_ Raph asked of the ocean before he transformed back himself. He kicked off of Karai and swam up to the surface. The second his head broke the surface, Donnie frantically started talking.

"She's gone," Donnie said.

"Who?" Raph asked. "What's going on?"

"Miwa," Donnie said. "Her island is here, but I don't feel any powerful energy from there," Gods gave off a powerful aura that they'd become attuned to. It was how Raph had known where to find Karai while he was underwater. Donnie should have been able to sense Miwa's presence. Neither of them had even considered the possibility that they wouldn't be able to feel her.

"She still might be sleeping," Raph said, though he didn't really believe it. "Maybe her power has dampened because we have her heart,"

"She was sleeping before, and we were still able to feel her," Donnie said desperately. "And even without her heart, she's still a goddess. I'm telling you, Raph, she's not here,"

"That doesn't make any sense," Raph frowned. "The ocean and air brought us here. Why would they do that if Miwa wasn't around?"

There was a vibrating scream from underwater that they could feel even from up here. Raph felt a change in the water. "Karai's coming," Without having to discuss it Raph and Donnie transformed into pelicans. They both took into the air immediately, wanting to get away from Karai and regroup so they could figure out what they were going to do next.

They began to fly off to where the others were, but Donnie was faster than Raph was. Before they could get out of range Karai jumped out of the surface of the water and suddenly a wall of lava came up between the two of them. Raph had to draw back sharply to avoid running into it. While he was distracted a fireball came flying right next to him. It didn't hit him directly, but it came close enough that it singed his feathers.

Raph yelped in pain, and then in alarm when he began to fall out of the sky. His damaged wings weren't able to keep him up. Raph instinctively tried to transform into a water animal, but the best he could do was return to his human form.

Raph hit the water and felt his breath get knocked out of him. He tried to swim to the surface, but then Karai came up to him and wrapped her tail around him. Even though she was supposably a fire goddess, Karai pulled Raph deeper into the water. She shrieked so harshly at Raph that it left his ears ringing. The water only made the vibrations even worse, though his lack of air certainly wasn't helping.

Raph may not be completely mortal, but he still needed to breathe. He could hold his breath for a lot longer than any humans he knew of, but that was a little hard to do when a serpentine goddess was trying to squeeze the air right out of his lungs.

Raph hit, pulled, and scratched at Karai's tail, but this only caused her to tighten her grip. She really wasn't going to let him go, and Raph didn't understand what her deal was. She wasn't even trying to look for the Heart of Miwa. She had to sense that he didn't have it, so she wasn't doing this because she wanted the heart, she just wanted to hurt him.

This wasn't about power, this was personal.

Raph grunted. He didn't get it. What had he ever done to her to get this kind of reaction? He'd only seen Karai once, and back then, she'd been the one to instigate a fight. He hadn't done a thing to her.

Raph glared at Karai and met her eyes. She was glaring at him in return, and Raph was shocked at the absolute fury in her eyes. This wasn't just anger, this was rage. Raph could tell, as he was very familiar with both of them. That look in Karai's eyes, it was terrifying for Raph to see, because it felt like he was looking at his own reflection.

All the times that Raph had been furious at the world because he'd been hurt by it, he was seeing that exact fury in Karai. She wasn't just mad because things weren't going her way, she was upset because she'd been hurt and this was just her reaction to that.

' _What happened to you?'_ Raph found himself wondering. Almost like she knew his thoughts, Karai screamed, and this time Raph could hear the pain in her tone. A moment later Karai's face surged forward and she bit Raph's shoulder.

Despite the small amount of hair he had, Raph couldn't help but cry out in pain. He felt his shoulder go numb, and the feeling was spreading. Raph found his eyes growing heavy. He didn't know if it was because the lack of air was finally getting to him, or if this was an effect of the bite, but he had a hard time staying awake. Raph fought it as long as he could, but much sooner than he would ever want to admit Raph couldn't resist anymore. He stopped struggling against Karai and went limp in her crushing grip as he gave in to the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, apparently while the beginning of this story was moving very slowly and focused on character development and setting things up, things are really rolling along now. I mean, not that there's no more character development, I'm just trying to not be too repetitive about it. I hope that it doesn't come off as rushing just because it's going at a different pace than before.
> 
> Or maybe everything is really consistent to you guys and I'm just being silly.


	18. Chapter 18

Everything had gone wrong.

This was supposed to be the end of their journey. They'd found the demigods, they'd convinced them to help them out. Leo had thought that the hardest part was over. Yeah, dealing with the goddess Karai wouldn't be a cake walk, but that was what Raph and Donnie were for. The demigods would fight off Karai, Mikey and Leo would give the heart back to Miwa, and the world would be put right again. It was a simple enough plan, but everything had gone wrong.

Somehow, Miwa wasn't on her island. Donnie hadn't been able to sense her at all. Raph had been overwhelmed by Karai, and he still hadn't come up out of the water. Donnie had immediately gone after Raph, leaving Mikey and Leo on their boat to tensely wait for them. Leo had mostly been worried about the fact that he had no idea what they were supposed to do now, but the longer they waited for Donnie to come out of the water with Raph, the more worried he got about his new friends.

"Where are they?" Mikey asked anxiously. Nobody should be underwater for as long as Raph had been, or even Donnie, who had gone after him. "We need to help them," Leo was about to tell his brother that it was just a little too dangerous for them to go after the demigods when Mikey turned to Leatherhead. "Can you help them?"

"Of course," Leatherhead had been resting in the water, and he dove under as soon as Mikey asked. With Leatherhead gone, Leo and Mikey were left again with nothing to do but wait and worry. After a few long, tense moments Leatherhead came out of the water, pulling Donnie and an unconscious Raph behind him.

Leo quickly moved to the end of the ship to help pull Raph up. He looked extremely pale, making the purplish red bite marks on Raph's shoulder stand out that much more. Leo had seen quite a few bite marks in his time, mostly on Mikey when he'd gone too close to wild animals, but this looked so much worse.

"They look kinda like snake bites," Mikey said worryingly.

"It must've been Karai," Mikey said.

"We have to get out of here," Donnie took his staff, which had separated from Raph's sai, and snapped it forward harshly, causing a strong gust of wind that caught their sails and quickly got them going. Leo had to cling tightly to the wood of the boat to keep himself from losing his balance or falling off. The wind was strong and angry, and it almost seemed to be working against the ocean rather than working with it.

For the next few minutes the wind was too strong for Leo to even open his eyes and see where they were going or how fast. He just had to wait for Donnie to calm down the wind. The only thing Leo could do was use one hand to keep himself from falling and the other around Raph to make sure he stayed on the boat.

Finally Donnie eased up, just as they reached an island. Though it was hard to tell just how far they'd come, as the ocean around them all looked the same to Raph, he couldn't even see the smoke that had covered the skies around Karai. They were more than just a few miles away.

Once the boat hit the shores of the island, Donnie dropped his staff. He went over to Raph and shoved Leo out of the way, harsher than was probably necessary. Donnie grabbed Raph and tried to lift him up. Raph was bigger than Donnie was though, so it was a bit of a struggle. Leo moved to help, but Donnie's glare stopped him from even trying to get close. Donnie wasn't happy at all, and Leo couldn't blame him.

"Is he okay?" Mikey asked as Donnie pushed past him with Raph in his arms.

"Does he look okay to you?" Donnie snapped darkly in a tone that really didn't suit him. This was more of a Raph tone. Mikey's eyes widened and he stepped back in alarm. Leo scowled and stood up, putting himself between his brother and Donnie.

"Hey, he's just worried," Leo said. Said. "Believe it or not, you're not the only one who cares about Raph,"

Donnie's expression softened over so slightly, but he was still really cautious. Donnie brought Raph on shore and laid him down on the sand. Donnie took his shirt off and grabbed one of Raph's sais. He used the sai to cut the hem of his shirt. Once he had it started, Donnie could rip at the shirt until he had a makeshift bandage length.

Leo watched as Donnie gently wrapped up Raph's shoulder. It was a lot looser than Leo would normally bind a cut or bite, but Donnie was doing it so confidently and sure, Leo didn't dare to question his method.

"Should we try to, I don't know, get the venom or whatever that is out of the bite," Mikey asked. "I didn't know that Karai was poisonous."

"I didn't either," Donnie said unhappily. Leo frowned at his words.

"You're a demigod," Leo said. And Donnie also loved knowledge and learning. "You used to regularly interact with the gods. Shouldn't you know about them?"

"I do," Donnie said defensively. "Just...not this goddess." Donnie leaned back and looked up at the sky. "Honestly, I've never heard of this goddess before we were attacked by her five hundred years ago,"

"Really?" Leo frowned. That didn't sound right. "She had to be around before. I mean, goddesses don't just appear out of the blue, do they?"

"Sometimes," Donnie said. "This wouldn't be the first time that a god or goddess just suddenly appeared, this just feels a little different, somehow." Donnie looked at Leo. "Other than the legend about me and Raph, do you mortals have any other tales about Karai? Anything?"

"Uh, no," Mikey said as he frowned in confusion. "We know even less about Karai than you guys do,"

"She must be a more secluded goddess," Donnie said, though he sounded a little uncertain. Leo was sure that Donnie didn't like not knowing something, but he was more concerned about his brother than about his lack of knowledge about this particular goddess. "Seriously, I don't care,"

"But if we're going to go against Karai, we should probably know a little more about her," Leo said.

Donnie turned and looked at him. "We're not going against Karai. Not again."

"What?" Leo looked at Donnie in alarm. "But we need to go back. We have find Miwa,"

"She's not there," Donnie said sternly. "And even if she was, we couldn't return. It's too dangerous."

"We all knew there would be risks," Leo said.

"Saving the world isn't really supposed to be easy," Mikey added. "But now we have a better idea of what to expect. If we all work together,"

"We'll all end up getting ourselves killed," Donnie said. "Look at my brother. Of all of us, he's the only one that actually knows how to fight, and he's...he's…" Donnie trailed off and looked towards his brother in distress. "I don't even know how he is, or how I can help him."

Mikey frowned and tried to move off the boat to check on Raph himself, but the ocean suddenly rose up like a wall in front of him, pushing him back. Leo and Mikey looked at the ocean in shock. It was behaving in a similar way as it had when Raph had been trying to push them away after they left the Hidden City. But Raph was unconscious now. Either Raph felt unsafe in his state, and the ocean was responding to that, the sea was protective of Raph and was forcing everyone else back, or somehow Donnie, who couldn't control the sea, was influencing it to obey him anyways.

Leo really had no idea which was most likely, or which reason he preferred. Either way, he and Mikey were being pushed back by someone who really should trust them right now.

"Donnie, please, we can't just give up," Leo pleaded. He could see Donnie through the water, and he looked like he'd completely given up, and not just on their quest.

"I can't do this anymore," Donnie said. "I'm sorry,"

"I know you're worried about your brother," Mikey said. "I'm worried about him too, but right now the whole world is in danger. Everybody needs help. Our island is dying, our friend is sick, we need to help them."

"The world is bigger than just you and your brother," Leo said. Donnie shook his head.

"Not my world," Donnie said. "I'm sorry about your friend and your island, really I am, I'm sorry, but I can't help you anymore." The ocean rose up onto the boat and surrounded Donnie's staff. It pulled back and washed the staff back onto the shore. Donnie picked up the staff and looked sadly at Leo and Mikey. "You guys should just go home."

"We can't just leave you here," Mikey frowned. "We have the boat. If we leave, you and Raph will be stranded."

"There are plenty of trees on this island," Donnie pointed out. "We can build our own raft and leave at any time."

"But what if you can't," Leo frowned. "The gods wouldn't let you leave your other island, what if they do the same thing now."

"We'll face that if we have to," Donnie said. "And I'd rather be trapped on an island with my brother than out in the world without him,"

"We're not leaving you," Leo said sternly. Donnie sighed and lifted his staff. Leo realized too late what Donnie was about to do.

"Wait, don't!" Leo moved to get off the boat, but Donnie waved his staff and pushed a powerful gust of wind into their sails. Leo and Mikey both lost their balance and fell at the sudden lurch that the boat gave.

Mikey was the first to recover. He sat up and looked around frantically, but there was nothing to see. They were out in the middle of the ocean, with no smoke, no goddess, no island, and no friends in sight. The wind gust was finally starting to slow down, but Leo didn't care much at this point. What was the point of them stopping if they were too far away to do what they needed to do?

"Why did you do that?" Mikey knelt at the edge of the boat and looked desperately at the sea. "We could have helped them. We _wanted_ to help them."

"Don't try to argue with the sea, Mikey," Leo said. It was one thing he'd come to learn from Raph. The sea may help people, but it wasn't obligated to do anything. It was far too finicky to be completely reliable. The ocean may have helped them to get this far, but Leo wasn't exactly surprised that it had done something like this.

Still, Leo didn't completely understand why the sea would help them on their quest to return the Heart, only to turn around and send them in the other direction. Leo found it hard to imagine that the sea suddenly wasn't desperate to help the earth and the gods. Just what was the ocean's goal here?

As though the sea could tell he was confused, or it didn't like that Mikey had questioned it, a moment later the ocean stilled as much as the breeze had. There wasn't even the smallest of waves in the water. Everything was quiet and calm, which could have been nice, except their boat was left not moving at all. At least for the moment, they were stranded in the middle of the ocean with no idea of where they were, or where they should go from here.

Leo sighed and sat next to his brother. For a few minutes the two of them just sat in silence and watched the sun set on the horizon. It was a beautiful sight, but Leo couldn't focus on anything except that with every passing minute, the sky was getting increasingly darker. Leo and Donnie had been sailing at night before, but not when they were already in such low spirits. Before, the complete darkness of the sea and sky at night had been too impressive to be unnerving. Now, the sun hadn't even set yet, and Leo already felt like the night and total darkness was a bad omen of their circumstances.

Mikey fiddled with the Heart of Miwa, a distressed expression on his face. "What are we supposed to do?"

"I don't know," Leo sighed. "I would love to help the others, but Donnie made it clear that he doesn't want us around. We have no idea where Miwa is, and even if we did, there's no way we'd be able to do anything without Donnie and Raph's help right now."

"Why not?" Leatherhead asked. Leo and Mikey looked at him in slight shock. "Why do you need the help of the godlings?"

"They're the ones that stole the Heart of Miwa," Mikey said. "They're supposed to be the ones to give it back,"

"But why them?" Leatherhead asked. "You have the Heart, and a boat. Why can't you return the heart yourselves?"

Leo and Mikey stared at each other. The thought really hadn't crossed either of their minds. They'd been hearing the legends about Donnie, Raph, and the Heart of Miwa since they were children. They knew the story by heart, and a big part of the story had been when Master Splinter had said that while the problem had been caused by the demigods, it would also be fixed by them as well.

But while many myths and legends came from a place of truth, that didn't mean that everything about it had to be completely accurate. It was still a story.

"We...we can't just do this without them," Mikey looked at the Heart of Miwa, a new look in his eyes. "We're just mortals,"

"And I don't know if this is just about returning the Heart anymore," Leo said. Miwa wasn't the only one who had been hurt in this story. In the stories, Donnie and Raph were always portrayed as fools who didn't know any better, just shy of being villains. Meeting the demigods though and really getting to know them, Leo recognized just how much they'd both been hurt by this situation. They felt abandoned by everybody.

Leo didn't think it was right. The demigods may have been alone for five hundred years, but they were all friends now. Donnie and Raph should know that they weren't on their own, and knowing that they still didn't get it made Leo feel slightly sick.

They needed to return the Heart and make things right in the world, but Leo still felt it was just as important that they make things right with Donnie and Raph.

"We have to make it right," Leo said. " _Everything_ right."

"It wouldn't really feel right to just go home and pretend that everything's okay when it's not," Mikey said. "And we can't really expect someone else to fix things when we're the only ones that have the Heart."

"I don't blame Donnie for wanting to back out," Leo frowned as he remembered the look on Donnie's face when he'd forced them away. Raph was hurt, and now Donnie was scared and completely on his own. It didn't feel right. "We can't ask him to put himself and his brother at risk," Even if it was for the sake of the rest of the world, it wasn't fair to force anybody to sacrifice their own lives.

"No, we can't," Mikey agreed. "But we can't abandon the world either."

"So I guess we're actually going to do this," Leo took a deep breath. He stood up. "We're going to return the Heart of Miwa ourselves."

"Now we just gotta find Miwa," Mikey raised an eyebrow. "Kinda easier said than done, since Raph and Donnie were our leads."

"They only knew where they were going because they were being guided by the wind and sea," Leo said. "We don't have the air with us, but I think the sea might be willing to lend us a helping hand," Leo wasn't all that eager to trust the ocean, since it had already brought them to where Miwa was supposed to be, and the goddess hadn't been there at all, only Karai had been.

"It's worth a shot," Mikey knelt next to the water and put his hand in it the way that they'd seen Raph do multiple times when he really wanted to connect with the ocean. "Hey, man, I know you don't owe us any favors, but we're not ready to give up on this. We want to return the Heart, without Raph and Donnie, but we don't know how to do it. If you're willing, we'd really appreciate your help,"

For a tense moment, everything was still. Eventually though, the sea picked up. The waves weren't very strong, but they were going in a clear direction. Leo adjusted the sails, just like how Donnie had shown him, and caught what little of a breeze there was. They didn't know exactly where they were going and what they would find there, but Leo and Mikey were completely determined to finish what they'd started this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was originally planning on having Splinter and April basically giving the whole 'you don't need the help of the demigods, you're strong enough to do this on your own' speech to Mikey and Leo via, like, astral projection or something, but it didn't feel quite right. This whole time I've also wanted to give Leatherhead something more to do, so I decided to have him spark the whole idea, and then have Mikey and Leo basically give the motivation to each other. It felt more natural this way.


	19. Chapter 19

Some people said that when coming back to consciousness, the first sense that came back to them was hearing, or maybe touch. For Raph, the first thing that came back to him was his sense of smell. The salty scent of the ocean was the first thing that Raph was aware of. For the longest time, while they were imprisoned on their island, Raph would sometimes feel sick to his stomach when he smelled the ocean breeze. It seemed like a reminder of everything he had lost

Now though, when he couldn't move or feel anything, felt completely paralyzed and terrified for reasons that he couldn't really remember, the sea was comforting. It wasn't an old friend who had abandoned him, it was an old friend who was the only thing keeping him grounded.

Very slowly but surely, Raph started to become aware of everything else around him. He began to hear the sound of the waves on the shore, and the rough sand against his skin. It all came to him very slowly, until he started to regain feeling in his shoulder, at which point the pain seemed to kickstart the rest of his senses.

Raph groaned and tried to shift away from the pain, though moving just made it even worse. His groan grew to a shout of pain when he felt hands grab his arms and pull him up into a tight embrace.

"Ge'off," Raph tried to say. He tried really hard to force his eyes open, which was much more challenging than he thought it would be. Finally he was able to open his eyes enough to see his brother clinging to him. "Donnie…"

"Just be quiet and hold still," Donnie said quietly, his voice shaking. "I thought...Raph, you really scared me there for a while,"

"Sorry," Raph muttered. "What happened?"

"That's what I was wondering," Donnie pulled away just enough to get a better look at Raph. "I just know that Karai attacked you. I was only able to get you away with Leatherhead's help,"

Raph frowned. Something sounded off about that. "Karai...I'm not sure she attacked me."

Donnie's eyes widened and he put his hand on Raph's forehead, as though he was feeling for a temperature. "She bit you, she was holding you under the water. She was hurting you. What else would that be if not attacking you?" Raph's shoulder burned. He moved his hand towards it, but Donnie stopped him. "Raph, what happened between you two?"

"I don't know," Raph frowned. "But I don't think this was just an attack because we were in her territory. It felt more personal than that,"

"I think that makes it more of an attack," Donnie said.

"Well, yeah, but…" Raph frowned. Something was really bothering him about this, but he felt so dizzy and unfocused that he could barely figure out how to voice what was on his mind. "The way she looked at me, it was like I hurt her first, and she was just getting back at me."

"It doesn't matter why she's hurting you, she still hurt you. That's not okay," Donnie said sternly. "And what do you mean you hurt her first? We've only met her once. We never did anything to her."

"I'm not so sure about that." Raph frowned. He remembered the fury and pain in Karai's eyes. He felt like he was all too familiar with what he'd seen from her. This kind of pain, it came from being hurt over and over again by everybody until you finally just gave up on expecting anything more.

Raph couldn't remember hurting Karai this much, but...but…

"You said you couldn't sense Miwa at her island?" Raph asked. Donnie nodded. "Why would the ocean have brought us to Karai if Miwa wasn't even there?"

"Because the ocean likes to mess with you," Donnie scowled and glared out towards the water.

"What about the wind?" Raph raised an eyebrow challengingly. "It helped us just as much as the sea did. They both brought us there."

Donnie frowned, looking conflicted. "I...don't know," Donnie hated not knowing things, and he especially didn't like to admit when he didn't know something.

"And the ocean helped Mikey and Leo come all this way and find us," Raph said. "The ocean's moody and unreliable, but it seems to have been planning this for years. The ocean really doesn't have that kind of patience unless it's for something really important, and I doubt that almost getting all of us killed by an angry goddess qualifies."

"Where are you going with this?" Donnie asked.

Raph struggled to stand, and winced when his entire arm seemed to flare up. His legs gave out beneath him and Raph would have collapsed if Donnie hadn't caught him. "Where...where are Leo and Mikey?" Raph thought he had an idea. He remembered what Mikey had told him about how the elements were connected to each other. He wanted to run what he was thinking by Mikey, as he would probably know more about this.

Donnie grimaced and looked pained and conflicted. "They left," Donnie said. Raph looked at him in shock. Leo and Mikey didn't strike him as the kind of guys who just walked away from something like this, especially since he had gotten so hurt. They were good kids, very friendly and caring. Why would they just abandon them here? Donnie sighed. "I made them leave. I pushed them away."

Raph frowned. "Why would you do that?"

"You have no idea how scared I was." Donnie said quietly. "I thought you were going to die, Raph, and they wanted to go back there and deal with Karai. I couldn't have them here. I couldn't...I just couldn't handle it,"

You think that it's better for them to go face her themselves?" Raph almost growled, sounding more concerned than truly angry. "They stand no chance against the goddess,"

" _You_ stood no chance against her," Donnie raised his voice slightly, just shy of yelling.

"Not in a fight," Raph admitted. "She's stronger than I am," Donnie looked at him in alarm. Just like how Donnie didn't like to admit that he was wrong, Raph was usually reluctant to admit that he had weakness. "But I think...I think maybe fighting her isn't the thing we should do here."

"You don't want to fight?" Now Donnie actually looked scared. "You _always_ want to fight."

"You should have seen the way she looked at me," Raph clutched at his arm, away from his wound, which he was avoiding even looking at. "You know the way that I used to glare at the ocean? How I wanted nothing to do with it, but I also wanted it to make everything right again?" Donnie flinched and nodded. They both remembered those times all too well. "She looked at me like that."

"But why?" Donnie asked. "I don't understand what you could have done,"

"I think I do," Raph said. It was actually something that they had both done, and they both needed to make things right, but this first confrontational push, Raph felt like this was on him. If Karai got angry and lashed out again, Raph didn't want his brother to be in the line of fire. "And I think I know how we can fix it, fix everything."

Donnie looked at Raph cautiously. "I don't want you to get hurt again,"

"And what about everyone else?" Raph asked. "The whole world could be in trouble if we don't do something."

Donnie laughed humorously, looking defeated. "Leo and Mikey said the same thing." Donnie was quiet and stiff for a moment before he sighed. "You're right, you're all right, and I hate it,"

"Hey, you can't know best all the time," Raph smirked and nudged his brother's shoulder. "Trust me, I 'm not really in a hurry to get myself killed, but I think I have a plan."

"Alright, fine, we'll give it a try," Donnie grabbed his staff and one of Raph's sais. He put them together, forming their trident. Donnie held it out to Raph, who grabbed it with his uninjured hand. The two of them transformed, though it wasn't with nearly as much ease for Raph. Transforming with injuries was a complicated business. The injury didn't just go away, but it didn't always show itself in the same way.

As a sailfish, Raph's injured fin felt completely numb, and it was concerning. He could still swim, but he kept on having to adjust to make sure he didn't get completely off course. He probably would have had a much harder time if the waves weren't pushing him along. It seemed like the sea was on his side again, at least for now.

Raph was familiar with the ocean, while to other people it would all look the same, Raph could find the subtle differences in different parts of the water. It didn't seem like they were heading straight back to where they had run into Karai. At least that meant that the two mortals weren't trying to fight Karai on their own...hopefully.

Raph stopped swimming when he saw Donnie dive into the water just in front of him. Raph knew his brother wouldn't do this unless he had something he wanted to say, so Raph surfaced and transformed back into human shape. Raph was about to ask what was up when he saw the raft right in front of them. Raph grinned and moved to swim the small distance to the ship, but he froze and cried out in pain when his whole arm flared up. He wanted the numbness back.

"Raph!" Donnie hooked his arms around Raph and helped him finish the short distance. "Are you okay?"

"Don't think so," Raph grunted. "It's getting worse,"

"At least you're awake," Mikey helped to pull Raph onto the ship.

"And alive," Leo grinned at them, looking more sincerely happy than Raph was used to. He looked at Donnie in confusion. "What are you doing here? I thought you were done."

"I was," Donnie said. "I still want to be, but Raph insisted."

Leo's eyes widened and he looked at Raph in shock. "You did?"

Raph nodded. "I think I have a plan," He looked at Mikey. "You know how you told me that the elements are connected?" Mikey nodded. "Miwa's a goddess of the earth, and if we treat the earth badly, it might get dry and withered and...burn?"

Mikey nodded slowly before a look of realization came to his eyes. "You...you think Karai's…"

"I think so," Raph rubbed at the wrist of his sore arm. "I don't know for sure, but I've got to give it a try."

"Me and Mikey actually talked about that," Leo said quickly. "We can't ask you to do this."

"You're not asking," Raph said sternly.

Mikey fidgeted. "Actually, I think Raph's right." He took off his necklace and barely hesitated for a moment before handing it off to Raph. Mikey looked at his brother. "We came all the way here to make things right, but returning the Heart of Miwa is only part of that." Raph completely agreed, and thought that he finally understood. His sais had been stolen from him, given to Slash by the sea. He'd been able to get them back, but it still hurt that they'd been taken, and he didn't know if he could fully trust his old friends again, at least not for awhile. If one of them had given his sais back, made things up to him, he would feel much better about it.

With at least the beginnings of a plan figured out, and the sea and wind on their side and leading them, they began to make their way back to where they'd left Karai. Raph hoped the journey was a quick one. With every passing minute his arm felt worse, he couldn't even feel his shoulder anymore, and he came closer to backing out and leaving this job to someone else.

He didn't really want to do this. He was scared of Karai, wasn't even sure that she was who he thought she might be, and even if she was, that wouldn't make things automatically good. They'd hurt Miwa. Raph completely understood why she would be upset with him. And just because he tried to make things right didn't mean that she was going to forgive him, or let him off easy.

Before too long they saw the sky darkening in front of them. It was the smoke from Karai. Raph took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the Heart of Miwa. He tried not to think too deeply about what he was about to do. He just had to go through with it.

Raph sat against the edge of the ship and dangled his legs into the water. It was time to end this. He was about to push himself into the water and swim the rest of the way towards Karai when Donnie put a hand on his shoulder.

"Just...be careful," Donnie said quietly. "I don't want to lose you,"

"Just keep these guys safe," Raph said. He was going to try to calm Karai, but if it didn't work, he didn't want the others to suffer the consequences. "I'll do my best." He went off into the water and transformed. He swam slowly, taking his time so to not strain himself. He was also stalling, but as he was getting there eventually, so it wasn't that bad.

As Raph swam, he felt the water get warmer. Karai was here. Raph gathered his nerves and surfaced, transforming back to his normal form. Raph glanced behind him to see the others on the ship, definitely there and offering moral support, but they weren't in danger. Raph took a deep breath and raised the Heart of Miwa.

"Karai!" Raph shouted. "I've gotta have a word with you!" He heard Karai hissing and felt the water rise to a near boiling temperature. He felt the tight grip of Karai's tail wrap around him. He knew it was going to bruise later, but he couldn't think about that right now. She poked out of the water. Her fury was clear, but she froze when she saw the Heart of Miwa.

"Thought this would get your attention," Raph said. "Look, I get that you're mad, but I want you to hold still, shut up, and just listen to me for a minute." Karai's grip didn't tighten, but it moved up and brushed against his arm. Raph hissed and stiffened in pain, but he had to bare through it. "I-I'm sorry."

Karai's fury edged away into a look of surprise. She released Raph and he nearly fell under the water, except the sea was supporting him, practically holding him up completely.

"L-look," Raph grimaced and looked her in the eyes. "I get it how you feel," Karai growled, but Raph had already got going. He wasn't about to let her intimidate him into stopping. "You really think I'd say this just to suck up to you? I don't do that, not even for the gods. If I say I get how you feel, I mean it."

Karai glared at him, but she didn't attack, or scream, or even move to ignore him. She just waited for him to explain.

"We were abandoned." Raph said quietly. "All our lives, me and Donnie gave everything we had to serve the humans. We obeyed and assisted the will of the gods. When we took this heart," Raph looked at the amulet in his hand. He felt his chest tighten. "It didn't seem any better or worse than anything else we've ever done. We thought...we thought that we could use the heart to help the humans. We knew that other beings were after the heart, so we didn't see the harm."

Karai hissed again. Raph grimaced. "We were trapped on that island for so long, and I didn't understand why. The gods were punishing us, the humans started to not see us as heroes anymore, but as villains, just because of one mistake. They hated us, and I hated them right back."

Raph sighed and closed his eyes. Talking about this, it hurt. He barely brought these things up with Donnie. "I thought it was unfair. I got so mad at everybody. At the gods, the humans, just the whole world, and I thought it was right. I thought I was justified. But being mad, it just made me feel worse, and then I started to take that out on the rest of the world. It was exhausting."

"I was so caught up on myself that I never thought about the damage that I had done. How we had stolen your heart from you, and as horrible and angry as I felt, I ended up making you feel the exact same way, and I...I'm sorry, Miwa," Raph closed his eyes. "I'm so sorry. I just want to make things right," Raph took in a deep breath and looked at Karai, who looked so vulnerable.

Raph moved the necklace up over Karai's head. She stiffened, and he paused. He didn't want to scare her so much. When she didn't move, Raph adjusted a little more and slid the necklace up over her head. He led his hand down the chain till it rested against the amulet. He slowly pulled his hand back, leaving Karai with the heart right back where it belonged, with her...with Miwa.

The flower on the amulet began to glow pink. It was just barely noticeable at first, but then it gradually became so bright that Raph was blinded. He closed his eyes and tried to shut it all out, though the light bled through his eyelids. After a long, painful moment the light gradually began to fall away. Raph squinted his eyes open and his breath got caught in his throat when he saw Miwa, no longer serpentine and fiery Karai, but the goddess that took the appearance of a young human.

"There you are," Raph grinned. Miwa closed her eyes, lowered her head, and clutched tightly to the necklace resting on her chest. The ocean began to support her just as much as it was supporting him.

Miwa bit her lip and some tears came out of her eyes. "It hurts." She gasped slightly. "It still hurts so much."

"It really does," Raph muttered. He put his hand on Miwa's shoulders and did the kind of thing that Donnie would do when he was really hurting and upset, he pulled her towards him and just held her tight. Miwa began to cry quietly into his shoulder, and Raph just held onto her. It hurt too much to try to do anything else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that the previous chapter was building up to Mikey and Leo returning the heart themselves, but character growth wise, I felt like this was the best thing to do and what made the most sense. Raph feels hurt and betrayed by the world, and lashes out because of it, which is exactly what Karai was doing. In the movie Moana, it made sense to have the girl who wasn't sure who she was help someone else to remember just who they were. In this story, I felt like it made the most sense to have someone who was so hurt and angry, and had caused someone else to feel that same way, to make things right.
> 
> And I feel like this chapter is very anticlimactic, but when you think about it, the movie kinda had an anticlimactic (in the best possible way) resolution, so I think it works.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter. I've really enjoyed writing this story. Thank you so much for reading.

Donnie waited tensely, feeling sick to his stomach. He tried to keep an eye out for Raph, but his brother had swam out of sight. He couldn't see him or Karai. Donnie had no idea what state his brother was in, and it terrified him. He hated that he could do nothing but sit around. Donnie still didn't know what Raph's plan was, but he trusted him. However, he didn't trust Karai. For all he knew, she could be hurting Raph horribly right now, and all Donnie was doing was sitting and waiting.

Donnie normally didn't mind waiting and being patient, but not when his brother was concerned.

Next to Donnie, Leo also looked anxiously towards the horizon where Raph had disappeared to. Donnie didn't know if Leo was concerned about Raph's safety, like he was, or if Leo was worried that Raph had just made off with the Heart of Miwa.

Mikey was the only one that seemed completely relaxed. He was completely confident that Raph wasn't just safe, but that he was successfully making progress with Karai. Mikey was also the one who encouraged Raph and Leo to focus on sailing to Miwa's island to wait for Raph there.

Donnie sat on the sand, his feet sitting just close enough to the water that the sea kept on washing over his toes. Donnie usually saw the ocean either as a petty, cold force that treated Raph horribly, or a comforting, constant being that looked out for everyone, but at that moment he got no such sense from the sea. It was just water, nothing more. Donnie tried hard to not think too deeply about it, but he couldn't help but wonder if this was a sign of something that had happened to Raph. After all, Raph was the demigod of the sea. The ocean may have been around long before Raph was, but Donnie liked to think that the sea would be affected at least in some way should something happen to his brother.

Donnie waited for a change, even the smallest bit of difference would mean that something had happened, and finally he felt it. The change was subtle, but it was definitely there. The sun brightened, the breeze felt lighter, life returned to the ocean, and the island...the island…

Donnie didn't realize he was holding his breath until Mikey put a hand on his back. "Do you feel that?" Mikey asked quietly.

"Definitely," Donnie stood up. Something had changed. Donnie didn't normally like it when things changed, but he had a good feeling about this one. Once Donnie got past the change in the environment, he realized that he actually recognized it. This was something he hadn't felt for five hundred years, but felt all the time when he and Raph were around the immortals so much. It was a feeling that Donnie had been looking for a short while before. It was the aura of the gods.

"Miwa," Donnie said breathlessly. "She's here,"

"What?" Leo stood up so quickly that he almost fell over. "She's here? Where?"

"Well, not now, but she's on her way." Donnie said. That much was clear by how the aura was getting stronger. Donnie continued to watch the horizon, waiting to see just what the changed aura he felt was. Mikey and Leo didn't say anything, they just stood right next to him, watching along with him.

Finally, after just a few minutes, though it felt like much longer than that, Donnie saw two figures on the water, just sitting on a wave as it brought them towards an island. They were still too far to really tell, but Donnie hoped desperately that his brother was one of them. The wave moved a lot slower than normal waves do, but after just a little bit of time Donnie was able to make out Raph on the ocean. He was there.

"Raph!" Donnie rushed into the water. When the water came up to his legs, Donnie nearly tripped as he continued trying to run in the water, but the sea adjusted his balance for him. "Raph!"

"Hey, Donnie," Raph said when they got closer. Donnie didn't give him the chance to say much more. He jumped on top of him, pulling them both under the water. Raph struggled out of Donnie's grip just enough to pull him towards slightly shallower water so they could both stand. "Donnie, I'm okay,"

"Good," Donnie pulled away from Raph and hit his arm, hard. "I'm going to kill you if you ever do that again."

"Don't worry," Raph said. "Confronting an angry goddess isn't really something I'm eager to do."

Donnie hit Raph's other arm, and suddenly his brother flinched and cried out in pain. Donnie's eyes widened. Raph's injured arm. "Oh, gods, are you okay?" One look at Raph's arm confirmed that he most certainly wasn't okay. The bite mark looked infected, and it was spreading to the rest of his arm.

"Karai's bite is deadly venomous." A young woman's voice said. Donnie blinked. He had nearly forgotten that the sea had brought someone else with Raph. Donnie froze when he took a good look at her.

"Miwa, you…" Donnie's stomach filled with dread. He'd had very little interaction with Miwa, and he really didn't know what she was like. Miwa was supposedly a compassionate goddess of life, but the last time he'd seen her, they had stolen her heart from her, and the gods and goddesses weren't exactly known as forgiving. "I...hi,"

"Hello, Donatello," Miwa gave him a small smile, which was really strained. She clutched tightly at her necklace, drawing Donnie's attention to it. The Heart of Miwa, Raph must have given it to her. Miwa adjusted herself on the water, which was still keeping her afloat. "I would say it's good to see you, but I'm not quite sure it is," There was the unforgiving nature of the immortals that Donnie was familiar with.

"Guys, what's going on?" Leo said from the beach. Mikey was standing next to him, grinning excitedly. He could probably sense just who Miwa was.

Miwa looked towards the beach and grinned. "My island," She stood up, still on top of the water, and walked towards the sand. Raph sighed and pulled Donnie towards the shore too. Miwa stepped onto the sand and sighed in relief.

Donnie cleared his throat. "Miwa, I…"

"Don't," Miwa said. She turned back to look at Donnie coldly. "Don't say anything. I just want to leave all of this behind us. I'm so tired of feeling so angry and hurt all the time." She looked at Raph, or more specifically at his arm. "And lashing out at people because of it." Miwa walked over to Raph and laid her hand on her arm. He flinched, but then Miwa's powers ran through Raph's arm and Donnie watched in awe and relief as it healed right in front of his eyes.

"There," Miwa stepped back. "You returned what you took from me, I healed what I did to you, we're even now."

Donnie didn't think that was quite how it worked, but he had something else more pressing to worry about. "What do you mean, what _you_ did to him?" Donnie looked at Miwa cautiously. "He was hurt by Karai." Donnie remembered what Raph had said to Mikey, about Miwa and fire. His eyes widened. "You...you were Karai," It wasn't a question, but Miwa nodded anyway.

"My heart was the source of my powers," Miwa clutched tightly at her necklace. "When you two took it from me-"

"-You changed," Donnie had heard of a number of stories of the gods shifting form and changing when they were in a particular mood, but he hadn't even considered it as an option. It certainly explained why Karai had attacked them so viciously, and then lingered around Miwa's island. And why Donnie hadn't been able to sense her energy when they'd looked for her.

Donnie looked at Raph. "You knew?"

"I had a guess," Raph said. "Not enough of a guess to risk dragging you guys with me, but enough to give it a try."

"Uh, excuse me, are you really the goddess, Miwa?" Leo asked, his voice shaking slightly. He looked really dubious, while Mikey just looked excitedly and not surprised. "The one we've been looking for this whole time?"

Miwa raised an eyebrow at Leo, making him blush ever so slightly. "You think I'm lying about who I am?" Questioning a god was incredibly dangerous, but Miwa sounded more amused than angry. That was a good sign.

"No, of course I don't think you're lying," Leo said quickly. "I just...have a hard time believing this is all over." He looked at Mikey. "It is, right?"

"I think so," Mikey looked at Miwa. "You're going to stop destroying the world, right?"

"I'm done with destroying things," Miwa said. "I didn't just create life because I was bored." Miwa walked over to the plants at the edge of the beach. She put her hand on the plant and used her powers in the same way that she had to heal Raph's arm. The plant had looked fine before, but under Miwa's influence it thrived and became visibly stronger, brighter, and healthier. "I've always admired the resilience of mortal beings, how strong they can be without any help from the gods."

Miwa turned back to look at Leo and Mikey. "I'm not going to fix all the damage that Karai has caused. It would drain too much of my powers, and I don't want to sleep again so soon after feeling like myself again."

Donnie was sure that Leo and Mikey would protest or try to argue with Miwa, convince her to at least save their island. They'd mentioned having a friend who was sick, which was what had pushed them to find Donnie and Raph in the first place. To his surprise, not only did Leo and Mikey seem content with Miwa's decision, but they seemed to approve of it.

"Nature has always been really good at bouncing back, as long as the environment is right," Mikey said. He looked at his brother. "Like the starfish I showed you."

"Or when we burn the dead fields to make them stronger later," Leo said as he looked at Miwa like he'd never seen her before. Donnie thought he had an idea what was on his mind. Fire and earth, Karai and Miwa. "I bet there are other ways to help encourage the earth like that,"

"Oh yeah, loads of ways," Mikey nodded. He smiled at Donnie and Raph. "I understand why Miwa doesn't want to come help us, but, well, you guys want to come give us a hand?"

Raph's eyes widened and Donnie's breath got caught in his throat. They were too shocked to really say something at first. Raph swallowed thickly and crossed his arms defensively. "You really want us to come to your home with you guys?" Raph's tone was guarded, like he half expected to be rejected.

"Of course we do," Leo gave them a small smile. "You guys gotta integrate back into society eventually. Why not start with people you know first?"

Raph stiffened and glowered slightly at the offer. If there was one consistent thing about Raph, he didn't like to be pitied or to accept help. He was stubborn, but so was Donnie. Before Raph could say anything, Donnie nudged him. "That actually sounds like a great idea," Donnie grinned appreciatively. He gave Raph a meaningful look. "He won't say it, but he thinks so too." Raph huffed and looked away.

"I'm not good around people," Raph said, and as much as Donnie loved his brother, he was prone to agree. Still, being isolated for so long, it just wasn't healthy. Both of them needed to get used to being around other people, be it mortals, yokai, mutants, or the gods.

"This will be good practice for you," Donnie wrapped an arm around his brother's shoulder, pulling him close and making Raph scowl. Though Raph had always been the bigger and stronger one, Donnie was taller than him, and had been for most of their lives. It drove Raph nuts. "Come on, we don't have to stay forever."

"Just think of it as a way you can make it up to us," Leo said in a tone that wasn't quite serious, but not entirely kidding either. "You know, for kinda putting the whole world in danger." Mikey hit his brother scoldingly and Donnie glanced at his. Leo's words could either make Raph lash out, or convince him to go with their plan. Raph might be more willing to join them if he thought of it as him doing a favor for them instead of them doing one for him.

"Alright, fine," Raph smirked slightly. "But only because this dork won't stop bugging me if I don't." Raph gave Donnie a small push. Raph glanced at Miwa. "Thanks, you know, for the arm." Raph rolled his healed shoulder.

"Thank you for my necklace," Miwa said. "May we never have the pleasure of meeting each other again." Miwa turned away from the four of them and made her way down the beach of her island. The air still felt pleasant, but Donnie felt a small shift. They weren't welcome here anymore.

Raph nodded and made his way towards their boat. "Come on, guys, if the wind and sea are feeling generous, we might make it back before tomorrow," Donnie shook his head and followed his brother. He didn't entirely understand why Miwa and Raph would thank each other for something that had been their own fault. Miwa had healed Raph's shoulder, but she'd hurt him in the first place. And Raph had returned the necklace that he'd stolen first.

Donnie didn't think that it was exactly healthy for the two of them to just ignore the pain that the other had done to them, but if pretending it hadn't happened was what they insisted on doing, Donnie wasn't going to try to stop them. He would keep an eye on Raph though, make sure that he didn't take this pretending too far.

"Yeah, alright," Donnie joined his brother. Mikey picked up Mayunk, who had been playing on the beach with Leatherhead. Mikey joined them on the boat with Leo and Leatherhead not far behind. Donnie looked at Leatherhead curiously. "Are you coming too?"

"I'm not sure," Leatherhead hummed thoughtfully. "I have not seen much of the human world. I want to meet other humans."

"They might not be so eager to see you," Raph warned, "Or us, really, so I guess we're in the same boat there."

"Sensei has always taught our people the stories and traditions of our ancestors," Leo said. "If any humans will be accepting of mutants and demigods, it'll be out people,"

"Definitely," Mikey said. "We'll vouch for all three of you. They'll love you, and I think you guys'll really like them too."

"If you say so," Raph said, his voice full of doubt. He sat down on the deck and leaned back against the mast. Raph looked completely exhausted, and Donnie could relate. He felt like everything they had done these past few days had finally caught up to him all at once. All of these changes, and confrontations, all happening so quickly, it was tiring. Donnie felt like he needed a nap, but there wasn't room on the boat for all of them to sleep at once, and someone had to stay awake to get them sailing.

"Get some rest," Donnie told his brother. Leatherhead came onto the boat and curled up close to Raph. Donnie watched as his brother stiffened slightly before he relaxed and leaned back against Leatherhead, closing his eyes. Donnie looked at Mikey and Leo, who had taken hold of the rope sails.

"Are we ready?" Leo asked.

"Let's set sail," Donnie clutched at his staff and gathered up a gentle breeze. He sent it into the sail, not as harshly as he had before, when they'd been escaping from Karai. They weren't in any rush right now. Maybe Leo and Mikey were eager to get home, but Donnie understood the wind. It may not be as finicky as the ocean, but it wasn't safe to use it unnaturally for long periods of time. If they wanted the wind to remain on their side, keeping it gentle and quiet would be their best bet.

As they went, Donnie kept his eyes on the horizon. He felt excitement build up in his chest, as well as hope. They may have left the island behind, but Donnie hadn't actually felt truly free from their banishment since then. Now, Donnie hoped that they were leaving the danger behind them. They had the whole world in front of them, and Donnie looked forward to seeing it all, and seeing it with his brother, and possibly his friends too.

Maybe Leo and Mikey's island didn't work out for them, but Donnie wouldn't get discouraged. The world was large, and that wasn't even including the realms of the gods, mutants, or yokai. Donnie refused to believe that there was not a single place where he and his brother belonged, and he wasn't going to give up until he found it.


End file.
